Laser snoring treatment, known in the medical world as Laser Uvulectomy or as Laser Assisted Uvulo-Papatoplasty (LAUP), these procedures use lasers to surgically trim and shorten the vibrating tissue that is associated with snoring.

A CO₂ laser is used to vaporize parts of the uvula and make incisions in the soft palate. Laser snoring treatment is typically performed under local anesthesia and requires about 30 minutes. The treatment has been proven successful after only one treatment but two or more visits maybe required to get the desired result.

Laser surgery can leave the area of the soft palate and uvula painful for over a week, with anti-inflammatory and pain killers normally prescribed post operatively. Indeed one study that compared Laser surgery for snoring with similar cold knife (non laser) surgery found the procedure to be no less painful than the other forms of snoring surgery.

There is no guarantee the laser snoring treatment will be successful but this technique has a reported success rate of over 85%. Rare side effects may include bleeding, nasal regurgitation and a voice change. The procedure seems to be more effective in those with a longer uvula and narrower throat.

Like all surgery it should only be undertaken after investigation of all the avaialble options and getting advice from an independent specialist. Snoring surgery has been shown to be more successful when appropriate lifestyle changes are made in tandem. As lifestyle changes have been shown to reduce snoring alone it is a good place to start when considering a snoring solution.

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