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Comparing anterior palatoplasty and modified uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for primary snoring patients: preliminary results. Objectives: To evaluate and compare the long-term efficacy of modified uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (mUP3) and anterior palatoplasty (AP) techniques for treating snoring in a prospective clinical trial.
Methodology: Patients with total apnea-hypopnea index values <5/per hour sleep were included in the study. Patients completed the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and snoring visual analogue scale (VAS) before and 24 months after surgery, and a VAS for pain after the operation.
Results: Twenty-four patients were in the mUP3 group with a mean age of 42.1 ± 11.8 years, and 26 in AP group with a mean age of 43.2 ± 10.4 years. Snoring VAS values were significantly decreased after surgery in both groups (p<0.025), but changes between operative groups were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Patients’ ESS scores in both groups significantly decreased (p<0.025), but ESS score changes between groups were not significantly different (p>0.05). Two years postoperatively, patient satisfaction was 85% in the AP group, and 70% in the mUP3 group. Pain VAS values were significantly lower in the AP group than in the mUP3 group (p<0.001). Eight patients (33.3%) in the mUP3 group and one (7.7%) in the AP group reported nasal regurgitation of liquids upon swallowing during the first week postoperatively. Two years after the operation, 10 patients (41.6%) in the mUP3 group and 9 (34.6%) in AP group still had a lump sensation in the throat.
Conclusions: We compared the efficacy of the mUP3 and AP techniques to treat patients with primary snoring and found less morbidity and more patient satisfaction in the AP group.