Studies of Endoscopic Diurnal Sleep Study and Laser-Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) for Snoring Patients

Abstract

We present a prospective analysis of an endoscopic diurnal sleep study using diazepam and the clinical efficacy of laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) for patients with snoring problems. Between February 1998 and August 1999, 91 patients visited our hospital for treatment of snoring problems. Among them, 69 patients were examined by the present sleep study, and 87.0% involved snoring caused by airway obstruction in the soft palate. Fifty-eight patients who were diagnosed as having snoring arising from the soft palate underwent LAUP, and 38 patients completed postoperative questionnaires. The mean of snoring scores significantly decreased from 10 to 4.1±0.8 at 1 month after LAUP. Other subjective symptoms also showed significant improvements, including onset of sleep apnea, wakening at night, daytime somnolence, and frequent daytime fatigue. These desirable improvements persisted for 18 months. It is concluded that our sleep study was useful for examination of patients with snoring problems, and that LAUP is an effective method, especically for snoring arising from the soft palate.