Abstract
Objective
To assess whether radiofrequency volumetric tissue reduction of the palate can improve patients’ snoring symptoms and quality of life.
Methods
A prospective cross-sectional study was undertaken. Over an 18-month period, consecutive habitual snorers without sleep apnoea were asked to complete a validated Snoring Symptoms Inventory (SSI) questionnaire before and 3–6 months after radiofrequency surgical treatment. It contained 25 questions on the impact of snoring symptoms, including social, work, physical and emotional aspects. Most patients underwent 2 operations (Somnoplasty® Somnus device) with a 2-month interval. A scale of 0 (no snoring) to 10(extremely loud snoring) was used to assess partners’ perception of the snoring intensity. Paired T-test was used to compare the mean difference in the SSI before and after surgery. Partners’ scores were analysed with Wilcoxon signed ranks test.
Results
26 patients (19 male, 7 female) aged between 33 and 74 (mean=48) were recruited. Preoperative BMI scores ranged from 19 to 35 (mean=28). Pre- and postoperative mean SSI scores were 60.5 (SD 12.3) and 42.8 (SD 17.4). The difference between the 2 means is 17.6 (95% Confidence Interval, 11.0 to 24.2), P<0.0001. The median for pre- and postoperative partners’ scores is 10 and 5 respectively. and the difference is statistically significant (P<0.0001).
Conclusions
Radiofrequency volumetric tissue reduction can improve habitual snorers’ snoring symptoms, snoring-related quality of life, and partner's perception of their snoring. Long-term results of this procedure need to be ascertained with further studies.
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