Snoring Treated with Laser Assisted Uvulapalatoplasty (LAUP)

If you are looking for a safe and effective treatment for snoring you might consider a Laser-Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty or LAUP as it is known. First introduced in France in 1990 this treatment for snoring is easy and only takes about one-half hour of your time.

The LAUP is done in the doctor’s office and you are sitting upright and awake with only a local anesthetic used. The procedure involves removing the uvula and trimming the soft palate of your throat. You can normally return to work or your normal activities immediately. However you will experience a sore throat especially when eating for up to ten days.

Your snoring is usually eliminated or drastically reduced in 80% of the surgeries in only one session. Some patients might require a second treatment or a series of treatments depending on the severity of their problem. As healing occurs further reduction is noticed.

The LAUP has been successful in treating and alleviating snoring volume by reducing the noise level, snoring duration by decreasing the length of time for each snore and respiratory disturbances such as blockage and post nasal drip.

The risk involved in this surgery is that the removal and cutting of tissue can sometimes cause excessive scar tissue in patients thereby narrowing the passageway further than it was before surgery, thereby making their snoring even worse than it was before surgery. As with all surgeries there are risks involved and everyone reacts differently to the procedures.

You would require a full evaluation to determine the extent of your breathing problems, however this procedure is considered effective to relieve snoring. But if you are suffering from a more severe sleep disorder like sleep apnea then you might need further evaluation because these types of disorders can lead to heart or lung disease if not treated properly.