Sucralfate alleviating post-laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty pain

Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is an outpatient mode of treatment for snoring and perhaps for some mild cases of obstructive sleep apnea synd rome. LAUP results in severe throat pain that usually lasts for 8 to 14 day s. Sucralfate adheres to proteins at the duodenal ulcer site, forming a pro tective coating against gastric acid, pepsin, and bile salts, that promotes healing. If a similar protective coating could be created at the area of L AUP trauma, morbidity may be diminished. Twenty-eight patients have undergo ne LAUP treatment-2 with mild obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and 26 with simple snoring. A block-randomized, single blind clinical study was perform ed. Sucralfate was administered in 14 patients (group A) every 6 hours for 15 days as a swish and swallow, whereas the other 14 patients (group B) rec eived water for injection with a strawberry flavor as placebo with the same dosing. As a conclusion, sucralfate significantly lowered postoperative pa in and the need for analgesic drug use as well as the total number of the d ays the patients needed to almost reach their normal diet quantity (greater than or equal to 80% of normal quantity).