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Ambulatory treatment of snoring with CO2 laser: laser-assisted UPPP (LAUP), results on 856 patients

The usual treatment of snoring in the absence of sleep apneas has been UPPP. Patients are often reluctant to undergo this painful procedure under general anesthesia. The Laser Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is a new procedure, introduced six years ago by the author, using local anesthesia for the treatment of snoring in an office setting. This technique is designed to correct breathing abnormalities during sleep, caused by pharyngeal airway obstruction in patients suffering of Snoring or Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome. This is done by reducing the amount of tissue in the uvula, the velum, and the upper part of the posterior pillars. LAUP allows surgery for the relief of snoring to be performed in the office, under local anesthesia. LAUP has many advantages over the traditional UPPP. It is simple, reliable, hemostatic, and less painful. It is also less expensive as it can be performed as an outpatient. This makes the LAUP more accessible to patients. Our experience with LAUP in 856 patients from December 1988 to July 1994 (141 women and 715 men) is described. Good results were obtained in 94.8% of patients and there were no complications. This new technique can be easily performed by other otolaryngologists after serious suitable training. LAUP provides a simple alternative for many patients who do not wish to undergo a traditional UPPP.