Abstract
BackgroundSnoring disorder is a common problem among world population. Treatment modalities may involve surgical and non-surgical procedures. As main objective we proposed to evaluate the efficacy of non-ablative Er:YAG laser in the treatment of snoring disorder. Material and MethodsWe performed an interventional study in 30 patients with snoring disorders. Three sessions were performed with Er:YAG laser 2940nm in long pulse mode (2J/cm2) and smooth mode (10-8J/cm2) in oropharynx region. We analyzed the efficacy of this protocol using questionnaires for snoring intensity, snoring related characteristics of quality of life (including the Epworth sleepness scale and OHIP-14), the satisfaction of the patients and existence of adverse effects comparing the results before and after the treatment using Wilcoxon Signed Rank test. ResultsThere was a 96.7% satisfaction rate after one month of treatment, and 96.4% after 6 months. A reduction of the severity of snoring from 8±1.9 before the treatment to 1.6±1.1 one month after treatment was observed (p<0.001). Decrease in mean values of Epworth sleepness scale (9.97±5.3 to 6.54±4.3) (p=0.002), and OHIP-14 score (10.9±6.2 to 5.9±5) (p<0.001) were also noted. A significant decrease in the Mallampatti and Friedman classification scores were observed (p=0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). No anesthesia was required, nor adverse effects were observed. ConclusionsNon-ablative Er:YAG laser treatment is a safe, painless, and can be an effective treatment option to reduce snoring and is well accepted by the patient. However, further controlled studies with longer follow-up are required. Key words:Er:YAG laser, snoring, sleep disorders, epworth sleepiness scale, OHIP-14.
Highlights
Snoring is a common social problem worldwide, with studies indicating that 45% of people often snore, more often in man and elderly people [1,2,3]
Snoring disorder may be implicated with health problems such as sleep deprivation, headaches, irritability, decreased concentration and sexual libido, social interrelation capacity, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
An non-invasive treatment using Er:YAG laser in a non-ablative mode has been reported with the aim of the remodelling and new formation of collagen fibers leading to shortening of the mucosa and an increase of the oropharynx space facilitating the airflow passage [13,11]
Summary
Snoring is a common social problem worldwide, with studies indicating that 45% of people often snore, more often in man and elderly people [1,2,3]. In the view of this, our aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of a non-ablative Er:YAG laser protocol in the treatment of snoring disorder evaluating several snoring related characteristics of quality of life, the satisfaction of the patients with the treatment and existence of adverse effects or complications comparing the results before and after the treatment. We analyzed the efficacy of this protocol using questionnaires for snoring intensity, snoring related characteristics of quality of life (including the Epworth sleepness scale and OHIP-14), the satisfaction of the patients and existence of adverse effects comparing the results before and after the treatment using Wilcoxon Signed Rank test. Further controlled studies with longer follow-up are required
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