Snoring Surgery

What is Snoring surgery?

The problem of snoring is often defined not as a disease, but simply as a disturbing noise during sleep. However, it is important to know that snoring and the sleep apnoea it can cause is a serious health problem. This problem, which is thought to affect 30 per cent of our society, can cause irritability, sweating in the head and neck area and daytime fatigue. There are three main methods used today to treat this condition: CPAP masks, ENT surgery and snoring devices. Thanks to these methods, the person can get rid of the snoring problem.

Why is snoring surgery performed?

Many factors can cause snoring and sleep apnoea. However, one of the most important factors is known as nasal obstruction. Curvature of the airway and/or structures called concha (nasal concha) in the nose reduce the quality of sleep and cause snoring by affecting the respiratory system. Snoring surgery is performed to eliminate the snoring problem caused by these factors and to provide healthy breathing and sleep.

How is snoring surgery performed?

While breathing in and out during sleep, the air passes through the narrow space and the vibration it creates in the soft tissues causes snoring. Before the operation, the factors that cause snoring are identified.  The operation is performed under general anaesthetic. The operation, which involves stretching the soft palate and cutting the small tongue, often involves the removal of the tonsils. Snoring surgery varies depending on the patient’s condition.

What types of snoring surgery are there?

A snoring problem can sometimes have a single cause, and sometimes it can have more than one cause. For example, causes such as sagging of the small tongue, tonsils that are larger than normal, enlarged adenoids and deformities (curvature, etc.) leading to nasal obstruction cause snoring problems. Therefore, the main cause of snoring is determined and the treatment and procedure options to be applied vary accordingly. These treatments and procedures are as follows

Nose (Nasal) Surgeries

It is known that breathing through the nose improves both life and sleep quality. However, some problems that can cause nasal congestion can prevent this. Problems such as curvature of the airway and nasal concha play a role in the development of snoring problems. In this case, the aim is to correct and open up the curvature of the airway through nasal surgery and to reduce the size of the nasal concha by burning it using the radiofrequency method. This eliminates the factors that cause snoring. The optimum effect of this procedure is achieved approximately 3-6 months after the operation.

Soft Palate and Small Tongue Surgeries

In some cases, the soft palate, the root of the tongue and the small tongue can block the airway during sleep. This causes snoring problems. In this case, the airway is opened by partially removing the loose or sagging tissue using laser and radiofrequency methods. Professional physicians should be preferred against complication risks that may occur during this surgery, such as voice thinning due to excess tissue removal.

What is the difference between snoring and sleep apnea?

Snoring is very common in society. The sound produced by the vibration of air passing through the narrow space between the soft tissues during sleep breathing is called snoring. Although snoring is associated with various health problems, it is not considered to be a life-threatening risk factor in and of itself.

However, sleep apnea is the temporary cessation of breathing because the muscles in the throat relax to prevent the passage of air. It is possible to talk about choking for a few seconds. In sleep apnoea, the oxygen saturation in the person’s blood drops and the carbon dioxide level rises, causing the brain to wake up. The brain wakes up and tells the body that breathing has stopped. If sleep apnoea is not treated correctly and effectively, it can lead to a number of problems such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and reduced immunity due to poor quality sleep and many long-term illnesses.

Although sleep apnoea is much more common after snoring, not all snoring causes sleep apnoea. A person can snore but may not have sleep apnea. Therefore, although the basic cause of snoring and sleep apnoea may seem similar, the consequences and definitions are considered to be quite different.