Efficacy of laser palatoplasty: four-year results

There are few reports on the long-term results of laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP), with some casting doubt about its long-term efficacy. We report satisfactory results in patients with more than four years' follow-up. We conducted a retrospective study of patients who underwent LAUP at the Princess of Wales Hospital over a period of five years. Thirty-three patients underwent LAUP as a day case procedure. They had had a mean follow-up period of four years and five months. Twenty-eight of these were asked details of their pre- and postoperative levels of snoring regarding frequency, volume and disturbance to their partners. There was a 50% reduction in frequency of snoring, a 51.85% reduction in volume and a 53.7% reduction in disturbance to their partners. All these figures are statistically significant (p<0.001). Overall, 60.8% of the patients felt the surgery was successful and had reduced their snoring to acceptable levels. We conclude that LAUP is an effective treatment for snoring, even in the long term.