Somnoplasty
Encyclopedia
Somnoplasty is composed of the Latin
root somnus meaning sleep, and the Greek
word plastia meaning molding or formation. Somnoplasty is a medical treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to treat three conditions: habitual snoring
, chronic nasal obstruction, and obstructive sleep apnea
(OSA) using radio frequency (RF) energy
to shrink the tissues that are causing the problem.
Somnoplasty is typically an out-patient procedure where you visit the office for a 30-45 minute appointment and then can go about your day.
The patient is given a local anesthetic
and a special needle-like electrode with an insulating sleeve covering all but the tip, that delivers RF energy under the surface of the tissue is used. The electrode is used to administer controlled, low-power RF energy to create coagulative (clotting) lesions, where tissue is denatured, beneath the mucosa (lining) of the targeted areas:
(the actual areas targeted depends on each individuals specific anatomy, so the above are just general associations.
After 6-8 weeks the lesions are naturally resorbed as the necrotic tissue is swept away and the suface sinks to fill the void, which reduces the volume of the tissue while stiffening what remains. When this occurs the airway is enlarged, allowing a less-restricted flow of air. In addition, the scar tissue at the margins of the lesion is relatively firm, and less inclined to contribute to snoring. Several follow-up treatments are usually required to obtain the desired results. Most insurance companies do not cover somnoplasty since it is not a widely accepted treatment for sleep apnea.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
root somnus meaning sleep, and the Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
word plastia meaning molding or formation. Somnoplasty is a medical treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
(FDA) to treat three conditions: habitual snoring
Snoring
Snoring is the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound, due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping. In some cases the sound may be soft, but in other cases, it can be loud and unpleasant...
, chronic nasal obstruction, and obstructive sleep apnea
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing, during sleep. Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Similarly, each abnormally low...
(OSA) using radio frequency (RF) energy
Radiofrequency ablation
Radio frequency ablation is a medical procedure where part of the electrical conduction system of the heart, tumor or other dysfunctional tissue is ablated using the heat generated from the high frequency alternating current to treat a medical disorder...
to shrink the tissues that are causing the problem.
Somnoplasty is typically an out-patient procedure where you visit the office for a 30-45 minute appointment and then can go about your day.
The patient is given a local anesthetic
Local anesthetic
A local anesthetic is a drug that causes reversible local anesthesia, generally for the aim of having local analgesic effect, that is, inducing absence of pain sensation, although other local senses are often affected as well...
and a special needle-like electrode with an insulating sleeve covering all but the tip, that delivers RF energy under the surface of the tissue is used. The electrode is used to administer controlled, low-power RF energy to create coagulative (clotting) lesions, where tissue is denatured, beneath the mucosa (lining) of the targeted areas:
- For chronic nasal obstruction the turbinateTurbinateIn anatomy, a nasal concha is a long, narrow and curled bone shelf that protrudes into the breathing passage of the nose...
s are targeted - For habitual snoring the soft palate and the uvula are targeted
- For obstructive sleep apnea the base of the tongue and other airway structures are targeted
(the actual areas targeted depends on each individuals specific anatomy, so the above are just general associations.
After 6-8 weeks the lesions are naturally resorbed as the necrotic tissue is swept away and the suface sinks to fill the void, which reduces the volume of the tissue while stiffening what remains. When this occurs the airway is enlarged, allowing a less-restricted flow of air. In addition, the scar tissue at the margins of the lesion is relatively firm, and less inclined to contribute to snoring. Several follow-up treatments are usually required to obtain the desired results. Most insurance companies do not cover somnoplasty since it is not a widely accepted treatment for sleep apnea.