ELECTROCAUTERY VERSUS CARBON-DIOXIDE LASER FOR UVULOPALATOPLASTY IN THE TREATMENT OF SNORING

Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty is a popular method for reducing snor ing. Drawbacks are the large initial expense of the laser unit and rel ated equipment and required safety precautions. The equipment required for electrocautery for cautery-assisted uvulopalatoplasty is signific antly less expensive to obtain and operate compared with the carbon di oxide laser. Ninety-eight patients were randomly assigned to one of tw o treatment groups to undergo uvulopalatoplasty: one performed with th e carbon dioxide laser and the other with electrocautery. We compared postoperative pain, time off work, efficacy, and the number of treatme nts required to achieve a satisfactory result. We found no statistical ly significant difference in any of these parameters between the two t reatment groups (P > 0.05). Our data show that the use of the carbon d ioxide laser offers no advantage over electrocautery in performing uvu lopalatoplasty to treat snoring.