Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty versus laser assisted uvulopalatoplasty for the treatment of snoring:: an objective randomised clinical trial

This study was designed to evaluate objectively the clinical effectiveness of surgery for snoring and to compare the results of conventional uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) and laser assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) in the treatment of snoring. Patients who had been referred for investigation and treatment of their snoring were randomly allocated to receive either UPPP or LAUP. Forty-seven patients with confirmed palatal flutter had surgery and all of them had a preoperative and postoperative objective assessment of their snoring loudness and duration in the home. The recording device (Snore Box) is simple for the patient to operate, portable with a built in microphone, and able to produce objective results, which can be automatically analysed. Of the 38 patients, who had technically valid recordings, 22 underwent LAUP and 16 UPPP. Overall the mean postoperative Snore Index (SI) was less than the preoperative SI (P < 0.0001), the average difference being 78.2 snores/h. There was no significant difference between the LAUP and UPPP regarding the fall in the SI. This study is the first objective comparative study to demonstrate the effectiveness of snoring surgery.