Brief Update on Snoreplasty

February 26, 2001

Snoreplasty is the term that has been exciting snorers in recent months. The word is out that a new technique, injection snoreplasty (commonly shortened to "snoreplasty"), may be a quick, easy and inexpensive fix for primary snoring. Patients who snore loudly, but who also have other symptoms related to sleep-disordered breathing, should undergo a polysomnogram (sleep study) before treatment, to determine if sleep apnea is present.

In the "injection snoreplasty" procedure, the patient's soft palate is injected with a sclerotherapy agent. That simple injection seems to reduce or stop the snoring in patients with primary snoring, with little pain and little expense. Current estimates are that the procedure might have to be done on an annual basis, but at this time there are no long-term studies of this technique.

The snoreplasty technique was first described at a medical conference in late September of 2000 (Read our story). In January we published an update on the story and an interview with Dr. Scott Brietzke, one of the two doctors involved in the snoreplasty research.

Questions continue to come from users seeking more information about this new technique. Here's the latest on snoreplasty...

According to Dr. Brietzke, media interest continues to rise about the use of snoreplasty. It seems to be a popular topic for persons who snore! The publication date of the medical journal article describing injection snoreplasty is still not definite, but May or June 2001 seems likely at this point. The article will appear in the journal Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery, a publication for ENT physicians. Once published, Dr. Brietzke indicates that an ENT physician should be able to read the article and begin using the new technique.

Meanwhile, Dr. Brietzke and Dr. Mair continue to do further research on snoreplasty. They are beginning to research the use of the procedure as a treatment for patients with sleep apnea, to determine if the procedure will be effective in treating some cases of sleep apnea. They will also research the use of ethanol as a sclerotherapy agent. Both new projects begin next month. In the near future, they plan to begin laboratory investigations of other possible substances for use as the injectable agent. This research is being conducted at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center; any patients involved in the studies must be active or retired military personnel or military family members.

TalkAboutSleep.com will continue to follow the development of snoreplasty and will keep you informed on the topic. If you have further questions about snoreplasty, you can email us at info@talkaboutsleep.com.

See TalkAboutSleep's Injection Snoreplasty Physician Directory