Modified cautery-assisted palatal stiffening operation: new method for treating snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea.

Abstract

To assess a new method (modified cautery-assisted palatal stiffening operation [CAPSO]) to treat snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A prospective, nonrandomized trial. Thirteen patients with simple snoring and mild OSA underwent the modified CAPSO under local anaesthesia. All patients had preoperative polysomnography and at 3 months postoperatively. All patients were Friedman stage II and III, with tonsil size 0, 1, or 2. All patients had improvement in their snoring. Eighty-four percent of the patients had improvement in the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, from 12.2 to 8.9. Objective success on the polysomnogram was noted in six out of the eight patients (75%) with mild OSA. The AHI improved from 12.3% to 5.2% (P < 0.05), and the LSAT improved from 88.3% to 92.5% (P < 0.05). The modified CAPSO is a simple, low-cost, and effective office-based method to treat snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea.