Early-Term Advantages of Soft Palate Radiofrequency on Voice Parameters Compared to Anterior Palatoplasty

The aims of this study were to assess the impact of soft palate radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on voice quality using objective voice analysis methods and to compare it with anterior palatoplasty (AP) in patients with OSA.

The study included 295 patients who came to the Otorhinolaryngology Clinic of our hospital with symptoms of snoring and sleep apnea between April 2024 and February 2025 and were referred to the sleep laboratory for polysomnography. A total of 26 patients who met the study criteria and underwent AP and 31 patients who underwent RFA were examined. Acoustic voice analysis was performed using the Praat voice analysis program preoperatively and postoperatively at 2 months. F0, jitter, shimmer, and noise-to-harmonic ratio (NHR) were compared between groups pre- and postoperatively.

There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of age, sex, and BMI. There were statistically significant differences between preoperative and postoperative values of AHI, F0, jitter, and shimmer in both the AP and RFA groups. The highest changes were observed in the AP group. However, there was no statistically significant difference in NHR values before and after surgery in the AP group, whereas a statistically significant difference in NHR was observed in the RFA group. While the mean postoperative NHR values increased in the AP group, they significantly decreased in the RFA group in 2 months.

RFA on the soft palate is a well-tolerated and potentially effective treatment option for improving mild-to-moderate OSA in elderly patients. Additionally, its ability to reduce noise components in the early postoperative period suggests that RFA has a positive effect on voice quality and may be a preferable treatment option besides AP, especially for professional voice users.