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Electrocautery Versus Carbon Dioxide Laser for Uvulopalatoplasty in the Treatment of Snoring
Author(s) -
Gnuechtel Michael M.,
Keyser Jeffrey S.,
Greinwald John H.,
Postma Gregory N.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1097/00005537-199707000-00003
Subject(s) - carbon dioxide laser , carbon dioxide , environmental science , medicine , laser , laser surgery , chemistry , optics , physics , organic chemistry
Laser‐assisted uvulopalatoplasty is a popular method for reducing snoring. Drawbacks are the large initial expense of the laser unit and related equipment and required safety precautions. The equipment required for electrocautery for cautery‐assisted uvulopalatoplasty is significantly less expensive to obtain and operate compared with the carbon dioxide laser. Ninety‐eight patients were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups to undergo uvulopalatoplasty: one performed with the carbon dioxide laser and the other with electrocautery. We compared postoperative pain, time off work, efficacy, and the number of treatments required to achieve a satisfactory result. We found no statistically significant difference in any of these parameters between the two treatment groups ( P > 0.05). Our data show that the use of the carbon dioxide laser offers no advantage over electrocautery in performing uvulopalatoplasty to treat snoring.