Sleep Disorder / Sleep Apnea

During normal breathing, air passes through the throat on its way to the  lungs. The air travels past the soft palate, uvula, tonsils, and tongue. When a  person is awake, the muscles in the back of the throat tighten to hold these  structures in place preventing them from collapsing and/or vibrating in the  airway. During sleep, the uvula and soft palate frequently vibrate causing the  distinctive sounds of snoring.

The LAUP procedure is a laser surgical procedure designed to sequentially  trim and shorten these structures, thus preventing or reducing snoring.

Risks and Complications

You have the right to be informed that the surgery may involve risks of  unsuccessful results, complications, or injury from both known and unforeseen  causes. Because individuals vary in their tissue circulation and healing  processes, as well as anesthetic reactions, ultimately there can be no guarantee  made as to the results or potential complications. The following complications  have been reported in the medical literature. This list is not meant to be  inclusive of every possible complication. They are listed here for your  information only, not to frighten you, but to make you aware and more  knowledgeable concerning this surgical procedure.

1. Failure to resolve the snoring. Most  surgeons feel that about 85% of patients who undergo a LAUP will have a  significant or complete resolution in their snoring; and an additional  percentage of patients will notice reduced levels of snoring such that their  sleep partners will report that it's level is no longer offensive.

2. Failure to cure sleep apnea or other  pathological sleep disorders. Pathological sleep disorders, like sleep apnea,  are medical problems which may have associated serious complications. At this  time, the LAUP procedure has not been proven to cure these disorders.

3. Bleeding. In very rare situations, a need  for blood products or a blood transfusion. You have the right, should you  choose, to have autologous or designated donor directed blood pre-arranged. You  are encouraged to consult with your doctor if you are interested.

4. Nasal regurgitation, a change in voice, or  velopharyngeal insufficiency when liquids may flow into the nasal cavity during  swallowing (rare).

5. Failure to resolve coexisting sinus, tonsil,  or nasal problems.

6. Need for revision, or further and more  aggressive surgery.

7. Prolonged pain, impaired healing, and the  need for hospitalization

Sleep apnea is characterized by loud snroing and distrubed or interruped  sleep patterns. Sleep apnea can have serious consequences including cardiac  problems. Frequently patients will awaken in the morning with a headache. If  they become sleep deprived they may feel sleeppy all day, and may fall asleep  while driving in the car.

Sleep apnea is diagnosed by a sleep study. During a sleep study, the  patient's breathing patterns, heart rhythim and brain waves are monitored.

If it is found that sleep apnea is present, most doctors recommend the use of  CPAP. CPAP is a breathing device worn during sleep to help keep the airway open.  In some situations surgery is recommended. The uvulopalatopharyngoplasty with or  without tonsillectomy are surgical procedurs designed to open the airway. In  rare situations, a tracheostomy is necessary. These are procedures designed to  circumvent this sleep related collapse of these structures.


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