Somnoplasty

Somnoplasty is comprised of the Latin root somnus meaning sleep, and the Greek word plastia meaning molding or formation. Somnoplasty is a medical treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat three conditions: habitual snoring, chronic nasal obstruction, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) using radio frequency (RF) energy to shrink the tissues that are causing the problem.

Somnoplasty is typically an out-patient procedure where you visit the office for a 30-45 minute appointment and then can go about your day.

The patient is given a local anesthetic and a special electrode is used that delivers RF energy under the surface of the tissue is used. The electrode is used to administer controlled, low-power RF energy to create coagulative (clotting) lesions beneath the mucosa (lining) of the targeted areas:

(the actual areas targeted depends on each individuals specific anatomy, so the above are just general associations.
 * For chronic nasal obstruction the turbinates are targeted
 * For habitual snoring the soft palate and the uvula are targeted
 * For obstructive sleep apnea the base of the tongue and other airway structures are targeted

After 6-8 weeks the lesions are naturally resorbed, which reduces the volume of the tissue while stiffening what remains. When this occurs the airway is enlarged, allowing a less-restricted flow of air. Several follow-up treatments are usually required to obtain the desired results

Common Side Effects

 * swelling
 * discomfort

History
Somnoplasty was developed by a company named Somnus Medical Technologies, and received FDA clearance in November of 1998 for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.