Laser Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty: an objective evaluation of the technique and results

Abstract

The operation of Laser Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) as described by Kamami is now becoming more commonly used in the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea. The authors have treated 95 snoring patients, varying the lengths of the soft palate incisions and percentage of uvula excised. All operations were carried out under general anaesthesia using a CO2 laser. Pilot studies showed incisions that are 25% of the distance between the free edge of the soft palate to the hard palate junction and excision of 50% of the uvula give good results with minimal complications. A further study using these parameters was conducted and postoperative evaluation including polysomnography confirmed this procedure to be effective in reducing snoring levels both subjectively and objectively.