J. Antila et al., THE EFFECT OF LASER-UVULOPALATOPHARYNGOPLASTY ON THE NASAL AND NASOPHARYNGEAL VOLUME MEASURED WITH ACOUSTIC RHINOMETRY, Acta oto-laryngologica, 1997, pp. 202-205
Nasal breathing is considered as an important factor in sleep apnea an
d snoring, and nasal obstruction can lead to an increased respiratory
resistance and to inflammatory reactions in the nasal mucosa. Uvulopal
atopharyngoplasty is an effective treatment for sleep apnea and snorin
g. Different operation techniques with minor variations have been intr
oduced during the last few years. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty with laser
technique (LUPPP) has made it possible to perform the operation in lo
cal anesthesia. Acoustic rhinometry is a new method for the evaluation
of the nasal cavities and the nasopharynx. We measured the volume of
nasal cavities and nasopharynx of 29 patients using acoustic rhinometr
y before and 6 months after the LUPPP operation. There was a tendency
to a better nasal patency in the turbinate area, but no change was fou
nd in the nasopharyngeal volume. Acoustic rhinometry is a useful tool
for measuring the turbinate area, and this part of the nasal cavities
seems to be influenced by the LUPPP operation, maybe due to a better v
entilation or reduction of the inflammation of the nose. However, tech
nical and methodological improvements are needed before reliable measu
rements are achieved from the nasopharynx area.