PUNCTATE DIATHERMY OF THE SOFT PALATE - A NEW APPROACH IN THE SURGICAL-MANAGEMENT OF SNORING

We present our experiences in the surgical management of 21 snorers, u tilizing a new approach designed to stiffen the palatal musculature, w ithout compromising its function. This was achieved by using a punctat e pattern of intrapalatal diathermy to achieve fibrosis within the pal ate and hence the requisite stiffening. The initial results of this pr ocedure are encouraging showing a subjective improvement in snoring in 85.7 per cent of patients and an increase in sleeping in the same roo m as their partner every night, from 14.3 per cent pre-operatively to 57.1 per cent post-operatively.