[Dr. Wu Chengrong] Treats snoring with minimally invasive uvula and soft palate flap surgery.

Traditional uvulopalatopharyngoplastyUPPP (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty) involves bilateral tonsillectomy and reduction of the soft palate and uvula. The surgery requires...General anesthesiaThe recovery period takes at least two weeks, the surgery takes a long time, and the postoperative wound is painful and has a high chance of bleeding.

Mr. Zhang, 55 years old, has been snoring for many years. The sound of his snoring often prevents his wife, who shares his bed, from falling asleep. More importantly, it also makes her feel unwell the next morning and cause her to be sleepy during the day. He has visited other medical centers to evaluate the possibility of surgery, but due to his busy work schedule, he is unable to take time off to be hospitalized for surgery, so he has been putting off treatment for his snoring.

Stanford University in the United States developedMinimally invasive uvula and soft palate flap reconstructionThe uvulopalatal flap technique offers similar efficacy to traditional uvulopalatal flap surgery, and because less tissue is removed, the chance of postoperative complications is relatively lower. This minimally invasive technique uses a facelift-like concept to pull the uvula upwards, creating more space in the oropharynx and improving uvula laxity through tightening. Combining these advantages...Minimally invasive uvula and soft palate flap reconstructionThis method can effectively reduce surgery time and can be performed on an outpatient basis without hospitalization. It also effectively reduces medical risks, and because the incision from minimally invasive surgery is smaller, the recovery time is also shorter. However, if the patient also has sleep apnea, further sleep testing is required before surgery can be performed. Patients with questions can visit an ENT clinic for more details.

Dr. Wu Chengrong, Department of Otolaryngology, Shuanghe Hospital