Snoring Surgery Treatments

Surgery Treatments for Snoring at The London Clinic 

Snoring, a form of sleep-disordered breathing, is very common. Approximately 42% of men snore on most nights, and around 4% of the UK’s population have a more severe condition known as sleep apnoea (OSA).

Sleep apnoea is when the blockage in your airways causes you to stop breathing for a few seconds, resulting in a fall in oxygen levels in your blood, which wakes you up many times during the night.

The condition can lead to personality changes, impotence and increased risk of road traffic accidents. Significant decrease in oxygen levels in the body, can also put pressure on the heart, therefore increasing the risk of conditions, such as high blood pressure and heart problems.

The London Clinic offers treatment for simple snorers and sleep apnoea, using the very latest equipment, performed by world-renowned ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeons, and a multi-disciplinary team of specialists to help you recover.

Who should have surgery?

If you are diagnosed with sleep apnoea, then you may need to consider snoring surgery, sooner rather than later, to prevent long-term effects on your health and lifestyle.

If you are diagnosed with simple snoring you should only have snoring surgery after you’ve tried other non-invasive treatments in order to improve the condition.

Simple lifestyle changes can help stop or reduce snoring. These include:

• Changing your sleep pattern
• Using breathing devices that you wear in your mouth while asleep
• Sleeping on your side, or using a special pillow to keep you on your side

head and neck specialists at The London Clinic

The London Clinic’s priority is to provide our patients with support, comfort and expert care. We have the largest group of ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeons working in the private sector of any hospital in London.

ENT surgeons within The London Clinic work closely in multi-disciplinary teams with experts from other specialists, to offer the best care.  

Our dedicated head and neck nursing team are led by Nilam Heer. They will maintain your physical health, support your emotional wellbeing and help you and your family, every step of the way.

Treatment facts

Any form of surgery only occurs after a thorough ENT assessment by specialist consultants at The London Clinic.

Surgery is sometimes used to treat snoring if non-surgical treatments don’t work. The London Clinic’s ENT team will remove tissue in your throat. With less tissue, you have a wider airway, which means that the vibrations in your throat will decrease and your snoring will be less pronounced.

There are three main options for snoring surgery:

Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP): typically performed in milder cases of snoring. Your surgeon will use a laser to make incisions on portions of your soft palate and/or remove your uvula. These incisions are usually done over time and use a local anaesthesia so you can go home straight afterwards. In most cases, this procedure will require three to five treatments that will be spread about four to six weeks apart.

ENT specialists at The London Clinic perform LAUP in order to:

• Decrease size of uvula
• Lessen loudness of snoring
• Reduce uvula vibration during breathing
• Manage mild to moderate sleep apnoea

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP):  Usually performed in more severe cases of snoring.  Using special surgical instruments, your surgeon will remove parts of your throat tissue that can include your tonsils and uvula, as well as parts of your tongue and soft palate. Since the procedure is performed under general anaesthetic, you’ll need to stay in hospital to recover for at least one to two nights afterwards. The edges of the remaining will be stitched together.

ENT specialists at The London Clinic perform UPPP to treat:

• Enlarged or elongated uvula
• Excess soft tissue in the palate and throat
• Loud snoring caused by uvula and soft tissue vibrations

Tonsillectomy: If your snoring is caused by enlarged tonsils and/ or adenoids, these can be removed in an operation called a tonsillectomy. Your surgeon will discuss this with you as this operation may be performed at the same time as the UPPP.

Treatment recovery

In most cases, a LAUP doesn’t have serious side effects apart from a sore throat so you can continue life as normal straight after each procedure. Provides results with less discomfort than traditional uvula removal surgery (UPPP)

In contrast, UPPP is a more invasive type of surgery, the pain may be more pronounced and recovery will take longer – usually around two weeks. However, the advantage with this surgery is that it can be done all at once with no need for repeat procedures.