NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Radiofrequency tissue volume reduction (RFTVR) of the soft palate combined with partial uvulectomy is a relatively safe and effective treatment for primary snoring, the results of a 3-year study suggest.

“Some studies demonstrated that radiofrequency-surgery of the soft palate leads to a significant improvement of primary snoring and is associated with minimal postoperative pain while postoperative complication rates were low,” lead researcher Dr. Cheng-Yu Lin told Reuters Health. Long-term outcomes of this treatment had not been studied in a large group of patients, however.

The present study involved 60 patients with primary snoring (apnea-hypopnea index <15, body mass index < 30) who received two session of combined RFTVR of the soft palate and underwent partial uvulectomy, Dr. Lin, from Tainan Municipal Hospital, Taiwan, said.

Three-year efficacy and morbidity findings were presented this week at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in San Diego, California.

RFTVR plus partial uvulectomy was associated with a statistically significant (p < 0.0001) and clinically relevant improvement in snoring severity. Body mass index and preoperative snoring level were both positive predictors of a treatment response, Dr. Lin said.

Aside from pharyngeal irritation, which was limited but persistent, postoperative sequelae improved during follow-up.

Roughly 72% of patients reported satisfaction with the treatment results on long-term follow-up.

The current findings, Dr. Lin said, support the use of RFTVR plus uvulectomy as a safe and effective treatment for primary snoring.