Palatal stiffening via transoral, retrograde interstitial laser coagulation

Current treatment modalities for snoring may include mucosal removal, coblation or radiofrequency palatoplasty, injection snoreplasty and placement of palatal implants with described disadvantages. We introduce a new laser assisted method avoiding intraoral injury. A pilot study treating 13 loud snorers having an RDI<8 was conducted. A diode laser coupled to a flexible fiberand a handle with curved needle was used. The fiber was introduced into the nasal surface of soft palate between palatoglossal and glossopharyngeal arches and advanced progressively anteriorly after pulling the uvula forward three times to create palatal scarring and stiffening. All responded to a phone survey. Six patients reported significant improvement, 4 had some improvement, 2 had mild improvement and one patient had no change. Pain score was moderate for 3 patients while the rest had mild pain. The laser harbors many advantages over other methods. Results with this technique are encouraging further studies.