To deliver this energy we used the
Somnoplasty System (Somnus Medical Technologies, Inc., Bartlett, tN, USA) and the SP 1100 turbinate handpiece (40 mm-long needle electrode consisting of a distal 15-mm active portion and a proximal 25 mm insulated part) with thermocouples within the electrode to allow the surgeon feedback during treatment: this included tissue temperature, power used, and total energy delivered.
Somnoplasty Doctors use radiofrequency energy to tighten the soft palate at the back of the throat.
Examples would include Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) - a procedure to increase the width of the oropharynx, while
somnoplasty aims to reduce the redundant tissue of the soft palette.
"One of the most effective is the
somnoplasty technique I use," says Mr Rowe-Jones.
Somnoplasty shows promise for reduction of tongue lymphatic malformations.
Somnoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that reduces the soft tissue in the upper airway.
Radio frequency
somnoplasty, a procedure is similar to LAUP and UPPP, but uses sound waves applied through a needle to heat the targeted tissue; this damages the tissue and eventually leads to scarring and shrinkage of the treated areas.
Another new approach,
somnoplasty, uses radiofrequency energy delivered by a small probe to reduce the turbinates.
Soft palate tissue also can be reduced by
somnoplasty, which uses radio frequency waves to shrink and stiffen tissue, a procedure also appropriate for OSA.
RFTA is also known as "
somnoplasty." In this surgery, a needle-like electrode delivers heat of approximately 185[degrees]F to discrete areas in the soft palate.
The long-term effects of the various upper airway tissue reduction procedures such as
somnoplasty and laser-assisted uvulopalatopharyngeoplasty have yet to be proven beneficial.