Surgery may seem like a drastic measure to take when it comes to snoring but it is certainly a must for some people. If snoring really drives your sleeping partner crazy then it might be time for you to look at surgery to prevent snoring. There are several types of surgery but not all of them have the same effectiveness and each surgery has its own pros and cons.
If you have tried every snoring prevention device and over the counter remedy to no effect and still find yourself making chainsaw noises at night then schedule an appointment with your doctor to check out your snoring problem.
Making Airways Wider
One of the surgeries that can be performed to prevent snoring is called Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. This surgery makes your airways wider so that breathing becomes easier for you. This surgery with an exceptionally long name involves the removal of the tonsils, the uvula, and some of the soft palate.
Surgery to prevent snoring using this procedure appears to be temporary. Only about half of patients who have undergone treatment using this surgical procedure report any improvement after two years. Others find that within two years they have the same old problems again with snoring.
Laser Procedures
The above mentioned surgery can be too costly for some patients. You might want to opt for a surgical procedure that involves the use of lasers instead. A laser surgery makes the uvula smaller and only requires a local anesthetic, not a general one that knocks you out entirely. Certain parts of the soft palate can also be removed with a laser.
Keep in mind that laser surgical procedures are not one hundred percent effective. If you have already had your tonsils removed, however, a laser procedure is probably your best bet. Laser surgery does tend to help, but some people claim that the snoring improvement is not in any way significant.