New laser techniques have made it a simple office procedure. The patient is treated in the physician's office, sitting upright, and fully awake. After local anesthesia is administered, the surgeon uses the laser beam to remove the excess throat tissue that vibrates during sleep to cause snoring. The laser produces a high energy light beam that cuts tissue with precision in an almost bloodless fashion. In order to remove the right amount of tissue, the LAUP procedure is performed in one to four sessions with approximately six weeks between sessions.
Patients leave the office fully alert, able to speak, eat, and return to work.
Post operative discomfort consists of a moderate sore throat while swallowing and lasts for only a few days versus the prolonged severe postoperative pain that occurs with the conventional in-patient operation for snoring. The LAUP patient is given a prescription for pain medicine that is usually only needed for a few days. Reduction in snoring is common, with significant improvement usually occuring after the second session. The LAUP eliminates the expense of general anesthesia and an expensive hospital stay. The patient must be informed that most insurance carriers do not reimburse for treatment of snoring, as is the case for cosmetic procedures.