Uvuloplasty in case of rhonchopathy

Snoring (ronchopathy) is a common problem in modern society.

Snoring increases the risk of cardiovascular catastrophes in the patient (strokes, heart attacks). Severe snoring is accompanied by apnea - stopping and breathing disorders during sleep. It not only impairs the quality of sleep but also reduces the level of oxygen in the blood. This, in turn, leads to increased fatigue, decreased memory and performance, headaches, rapid heartbeat, and increased blood pressure.
Surgical treatment of snoring by uvuloplasty is aimed at improving airway patency and normalizing sleep breathing.

What are the causes of snoring?

Ronchopathy (snoring) affects 60% of people over the age of 40, and this figure increases in proportion to age. Snoring occurs when the patency, narrowing, or relaxation of the walls of the airways for the following reasons:

• change of an airstream arising at a curvature of a nasal partition, chronic rhinitis, nasal polyps, etc. neoplasms;
• enlargement of the palatine and/or pharyngeal (adenoids) tonsils, lingual tonsils.
• anatomical features, including a short neck;
• obesity is one of the main causes of snoring.
• congenital features of the structure of the larynx and oropharynx: long tongue of the soft palate, malocclusion, etc .;
• bad habits such as smoking, alcohol abuse.
• oscillations of hypertrophied soft palate tissues: palatal arches, tongue, etc. when breathing during sleep lead to sound;
• impaired innervation of the soft palate after stroke or intoxication, such as alcohol, can also cause ronchopathy.

When do you need to perform surgery (uvuloplasty)?

Indications for surgical treatment include:

• snoring, the cause of which are pathological changes in the soft tissues of the palate;
• obstructive sleep apnea (moderate or severe syndrome) in combination with or without snoring;
• ineffectiveness of conservative treatments.

How is snoring diagnosed?

Immediately before visiting the specialist, it is necessary to record sleep by recording the level of snoring on the device SOMNOcheck micro CARDIO with decoding data. At the reception, the otolaryngologist must perform a diagnostic examination of the roto-; naso-; laryngopharynx to determine the possible cause of snoring, as well as to conduct endoscopy of the ENT organs with fixation of the results. After a detailed examination of the patient, the doctor will determine the amount of necessary surgery (in the absence of contraindications related to health).

What are the features of uvuloplasty?

Uvulopalatoplasty surgery helps to get rid of this unpleasant phenomenon. During its correction of a soft palate, palatal brackets, a tongue is carried out. Additionally, the surgeon makes notches so that the soft tissues shrink during the scarring process. As a result, the tissues are compacted and become much less mobile, the airway increases. Thus eliminate the failure of the structures of the larynx and restore the physiological conductivity of the upper respiratory tract.
During the operation, the free passage of air in the throat is restored. Depending on the clinical picture, the amount of surgery required can vary significantly.

What types of uvuloplasty exist?

In the treatment of snoring surgically used radio waves, which have a number of advantages:

• maximum efficiency among all similar methods - 88%;
• 100% sterility;
• minimal blood loss;
• rapid healing without the formation of rough scars;
• short rehabilitation period;
• adjacent tissues are not injured.

How is radiowave uvuloplasty performed?

This technique allows you to cure snoring and apnea (prolonged sleep apnea). The method of uvulopalatoplasty using radio wave radiation is based on the ability of high-frequency waves (up to 4 MHz) to locally heat tissue cells. High-frequency waves, passing through soft tissues, evaporate intracellular fluid without heating. The effect is local, so the surrounding tissues are not damaged. The surgical wound heals quickly, no scars remain on the outer surfaces of the tissues.

The advantage of the technique:

• preserving the integrity of the surrounding tissues;
• minimal blood loss;
• absence of postoperative scars;
• the possibility of surgery under local anesthesia and in an outpatient setting.

How is the recovery period?

To accelerate the healing process, patients are advised to follow the following recommendations for 2-4 weeks:

• regularly rinse the mouth with local antiseptics;
• adherence to a diet includes thermally and mechanically sparing food;
• to exclude reception of alcoholic and carbonated drinks;
• limit physical activity;
• limit the effects of high temperatures on the body - sauna, tanning, hot baths;
• quit smoking.

The period after surgical treatment of snoring usually proceeds without complications, the postoperative area heals without scars and does not lead to functional disorders of the nasopharynx. The patient is released home a few hours after surgery. The attending physician conducts an examination in a few days. The recovery period lasts 2-4 weeks. Patients report moderate pain (for its relief, the doctor prescribes painkillers).