Oral implants help curb bad snoring

NEW YORK – Inserting small synthetic rods in the back of the mouth, in the soft palate, appears to be a safe and effective treatment for severe snoring, findings from a small pilot study suggest.

The implants work by stiffening the soft palate and preventing it vibrating excessively as air passes through the throat during sleep, according to the report in the Archives of Otolaryngology:Head and Neck Surgery. The implant procedure, which can be performed under local anaesthesia on a same day basis, involves the use of a specially designed insertion device.Dr William I Wei and colleagues, from the University of Hong Kong, tested the implants in 12 patients with severe snoring over a three-month period.The study focused on nine patients, because one patient was unavailable for follow-up and two patients had their implants fall out.No side effects or complications were observed in these three patients.Implant placement was associated with a dramatic drop in snoring loudness as assessed by bed partners, the researchers report.This coincided with a marked reduction in daytime sleepiness in the snorers.The procedure was well tolerated and no bleeding or infectious complications occurred.Moreover, oral feeding was started immediately and all patients were sent home on the day of surgery.”We have reported here the first clinical study on the safety and efficacy of…implants in the soft palate to relieve severe snoring,” the authors state.Placement of such implants “with a one-stage procedure represents a possible direction to relieve snoring with minimal discomfort and risk”.- Nampa-ReutersThe implant procedure, which can be performed under local anaesthesia on a same day basis, involves the use of a specially designed insertion device.Dr William I Wei and colleagues, from the University of Hong Kong, tested the implants in 12 patients with severe snoring over a three-month period.The study focused on nine patients, because one patient was unavailable for follow-up and two patients had their implants fall out.No side effects or complications were observed in these three patients.Implant placement was associated with a dramatic drop in snoring loudness as assessed by bed partners, the researchers report.This coincided with a marked reduction in daytime sleepiness in the snorers.The procedure was well tolerated and no bleeding or infectious complications occurred.Moreover, oral feeding was started immediately and all patients were sent home on the day of surgery.”We have reported here the first clinical study on the safety and efficacy of…implants in the soft palate to relieve severe snoring,” the authors state.Placement of such implants “with a one-stage procedure represents a possible direction to relieve snoring with minimal discomfort and risk”.- Nampa-Reuters