Analysis of short-term outcome after office-based laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty

To determine the short-term effectiveness and outcome of office-based laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty, a prospective statistically controlled study was done at the Department of Otolaryngology, Cleveland Clinic Florida. Thirty-eight consecutive snoring patients underwent a total of 98 laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasties, and data were gathered through examination, interview, and analog scales of snoring, pain, and other morbidity. In addition, a failure analysis was performed. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, confidence intervals, and adjusted analysis of variance ( p < 0.008). Our results suggest that snoring decreased significantly around each laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty treatment performed (4 to 8 weeks apart). Postoperative pain diminished after the first two laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty treatments. The only morbidity in the series was the result of significant pain, causing 77% of laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty failures. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1998;118:478-80.)