One step laser treatment is performed under topical and local anaesthetic, with the patient sitting upright and fully awake. The CO 2 laser is used to remove the uvula and trim the soft palate, with the treatment taking 20-30 minutes. The average patient will experience a sore throat while eating for seven to ten days, but speaking is not affected. These patients generally return to normal activities immediately afterwards. Snoring is eliminated or significantly reduced in most patients after one session.
Patients usually report a noticeable reduction in their snoring immediately.
Further improvement occurs with healing 3-4 weeks postoperatively. Most remaining noise was described as heavy breathing only. We have now done over 1,000 patients during the last two years using this one stage method with no serious complications. This extremely safe method is based on the individual palatal anatomy, so the patient is always left with normal speech and swallowing. Patients rarely report temporary back flow of water into the nose while bending over a water fountain.