Surgery to excise the UVULA, part of the soft PALATE and the TONSILS. It is done to help people with severe SNORING problems but it does not always achieve a cure.
(uvulopharyngopalatoplasty, UPPP, uvulovelopharyngoplasty, UVPP) n. a surgical operation to remove the uvula, part of the soft palate, and the tonsils in the treatment of snoring and *obstructive sleep apnoea.
(OSA, obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, OSAS) a serious condition in which airflow from the nose and mouth to the lungs is restricted during sleep, also called sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS). It is defined by the presence of more than five episodes of *apnoea per hour of sleep associated with significant daytime sleepiness. Snoring is a feature of the condition but it is not universal. There are significant medical complications of prolonged OSA, including heart failure and high blood pressure. Patients perform poorly on driving simulators, and driving licence authorities may impose limitations on possession of a driving licence. There are associated conditions in adults, the *hypopnoea syndrome and the upper airways resistance syndrome, with less apnoea but with daytime somnolence and prominent snoring. In children the cause is usually enlargement of the tonsils and adenoids and treatment is by removing these structures. In adults the tonsils may be implicated but there are often other abnormalities of the pharynx, and patients are often obese. Treatment may include weight reduction or nasal *continuous positive airways pressure (nCPAP) devices, *mandibular advancement splints, or noninvasive ventilation. Alternatively *tonsillectomy, *uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, *laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty, or *tracheostomy may be required.... obstructive sleep apnoea
n. surgery to alter the shape or physical characteristics of the palate. This can be plastic surgery of the roof of the mouth, usually to correct cleft palate or other defects present at birth. Other palatoplasty operations are carried out under local or general anaesthesia to shorten and/or stiffen the palate in the treatment of snoring or obstructive sleep apnoea. They may use conventional surgical techniques (*uvulopalatopharyngoplasty), laser (*laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty), insertion of stiffening materials, or injection of sclerosants. It is also possible to use radiofrequency energy in a process called radiofrequency palatal myoplasty (RPM), also known as somnoplasty.... palatoplasty
n. noisy breathing while asleep due to vibration of the soft palate, uvula, pharyngeal walls, or epiglottis. In children it is often associated with enlargement of the tonsils and adenoids. Treatments of snoring include weight loss, tobacco and alcohol avoidance, adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, nasal airway surgery, *uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, or other forms of *palatoplasty.... snoring
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