Carbon dioxide laser surgery for snoring: results in 192 patients

Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty has been introduced as an alternative to uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for treatment of snoring and potentially of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Between July 1994 and June 1996, 192 patients underwent 227 laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty procedures. Loud habitual snoring was evaluated in 42 women (21.8%) and 150 men (78.2%), who were then treated with laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty. Among the 192 patients (227 procedures), with ages from 18 to 81 years (mean 42.6 years), 15.6% (30 patients) had more than one laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty treatment. In our series, 80 patients (42.1%) had a history of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in addition to snoring. Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty treatment in patients with loud snoring resulted in elimination of snoring in 61%, partial improvement of snoring in 26%, and no improvement in 13%. The overall success rate was 87%. The mean body mass index was significantly higher in the patients with no response after the operation (27.9 kg/m2) compared with that in the patients with a good response (25.9 kg/m2). Obese (body mass index >30 kg/m2) patients were more likely to have no response to laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty treatment of snoring than patients with an ideal body weight (body mass index <25 kg/m2) (p < 0.01). We conclude that the body mass index may be of significant value in the postoperative success rate of laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty for the treatment of snoring.