Method: Ten subjects all complaining of socially disruptive snoring who had been studied by all night PSGs and found to have RDI<15 signed informed consent for this procedure, 9 were males, 1 female. RF procedure was done delivering 600 joules at midline and 300 at each side of the soft palate. This took approximately 10 minutes as an outpatient procedure. Subjects were followed at 3 days, 4 weeks, 8 weeks following with examination of the treatment site and questionnaires regarding difficulties with pain, speech, swallowing, and estimates of daytime sleepiness and snoring loudness by spouse report. Four subjects found dramatic reduction in snoring following 1 treatment. Five subjects requested a second treatment. One is incomplete due to an unrelated medical problem.

On restudy in the sleep laboratory a MESAM 4 was added to the standard 12 channel montage. This equipment has been programmed to count percent of time in loud, soft, and no snoring. Comparing these results against the spouse report of snoring loudness shows reasonable reliability.

(Table next page.)

1st Treatment Spouse Report Scale 1-10 PSG MESAM
Subject Baseline 3 days 4 weeks 8 weeks 8 weeks
% Loud % Soft
1 6 5 3 3 8.11 24.4
2 8 9 6 0 5.3 30.8
3 5 8 2 1 .5 5.1
4 3 4 2 2 1.1 6.4
Range (3-8)

2nd Treatments To be done
Following 2nd treatment
5 10 9 9 8
6 7 9 8 7.5
7 8 9 5 3.5
8 6 5 3 6
9 10 4.5 4 5
10 10 9 5.5
Range (6-10)

Conclusion: When snoring is moderate in loudness somnoplasty appears to be effective with one treatment. When it is severe, two or more treatments may be needed to be effective. There is less pain, swelling, speech and swallowing disturbance with the second treatment. Long term effectiveness is to be established.

Midwest Sleep congress, 1998 (abstract).