Snore Op

As many as 40% of adults snore, with men more often the culprit than women. This common complaint is the cause of considerable embarrassment to men and women as it is often the sleepless partner who initiates the Snore Op consultation with the doctor. Snoring can have a number of contributing factors relating to the soft tissue at the back of the throat or the post nasal passages. The throat muscles relax during sleep and breathing occurs through narrow mobile passages, causing the tissue to vibrate. The soft palate is usually the main cause of snoring but the tongue and nose can contribute.

Where it seems that the nose or nasal passages may be contributing to the snoring, we will often suggest a consultation with an ENT surgeon.

Apart from the social inconvenience, snoring may be associated with sleep apnoea which can have serious adverse consequences on your health.

The Snore Op, or Somnoplasty as it is sometimes called, uses a radiofrequency surgitron probe to apply heat to each side of the soft palate under local anaesthetic. The probe causes a controlled scar within the soft palate which gives the flap-like structure more stiffness. This extra stiffness stops the palate from vibrating so much and therefore diminishes the level of snoring to acceptable levels in up to 70 to 80 % of patients.

For those patients who experience a partial response to this simple procedure additional applications can be given, with further improvement in many cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can go wrong?

In applying heat to the soft palate, excessive damage can occur, leading to a shallow ulcer on the soft palate, which generally heals very well without incident. In very rare instances, a perforation, or small hole in the soft palate could occur, and this generally heals well. The major risk is that you may be one of the 20 to 30%  of patients who get a poor result from this treatment. We have no reliable way of predicting who will get a good response from the treatment.

What does the treatment cost?

We make a charge of $695.00 for the initial treatment which covers the cost of the surgitron probe which is a disposable item. For a subsequent treatment, charges may vary from $110.00 to $295.00.