Patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea often have obstructions occurring at the region of the soft palate. This area includes the soft palate. As a result, this tissue can fall back during sleep – effectively blocking the path for airflow.

A palatoplasty is available to reduce the tendency for the soft palate to obstruct by making it less flexible. Radiofrequency energy is used to ablate the palate tissue at multiple points with a curved probe, creating small areas of scar tissue. This reduces the flexibility of the soft palate, reducing its tendency to create obstructions during sleep and promoting proper retropalatal airflow.

The palatoplasty is a 15 minute procedure performed under local anesthesia.

If you would like to learn more about in office palatoplasty, feel free to contact us for further assessment and treatment.