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Information not intended as medical advice.

SOMNOPLASTY RESULTS


Posted by David Smoler on March 05, 1998 at 16:24:42:

SOMNOPLASTY REPORT

My wife says I'm a "10" at snoring. So did the eleven (out of fourteen) men who found other sleeping quarters during a photo seminar last year when I shared a dormitory with them. It was time to do something about it. My HMO gave me a blood-oxygen test and found no abnormalities, ruling out sleep apnea. Unfortunately, the HMO could only offer me LAUP (as a paid service) and it seemed rather barbaric to get zapped and burned by a laser if there was a less painful alternative.

I learned about SOMNUS because the company I work for did some engineering work on a similar RF generator for another company, used for treating an entirely different part of the body. I understood the physiology and safety aspects of RF treatment and felt very comfortable with it. Because I live near SOMNUS, I called them to find out which physicians participated in their clinical studies, reasoning that that person would have the most experience. I was examined by Dr. Lionel Nelson at his San Jose office and decided to undergo SOMNOPLASTY after he told me that the structure of my mouth made me a suitable candidate.

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THE SOMNOPLASTY - MARCH 4, 1998 4:00PM

* Dr. Nelson swabbed my palette with an anesthetic. After a few minutes, he injected Novocaine in five to ten (I didn't count) sites. I didn't feel a thing.
* While waiting for the Novocaine to take effect, a self-adhesive return electrode was applied to my lower back.
* Dr. Nelson then prepared the applicator, bending the needle sheath with a bending jig, to the angle he needed to insert the needle properly in my palette.
* The applicator was positioned in my mouth and the needle extended into my palette; again, no sensation. I was sure that I ought told especially still at this point, but only Dr. Nelson's pressure against my face kept me steady; no restraints of any kind.
* The RF generator was turned on until it had delivered 650 joules of RF energy (heating the tissue to approximately 80 degrees celcius) which took about two minutes. I thought I felt an unusual sensation, but only because I was looking for it.
* Two more insertions of the needle and shorter bursts of RF energy and I was done.
* Off with the electrode and out to the waiting room to be "observed" for half an hour.
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AFTERMATH - MARCH 4

I drove myself home and after the anesthetic wore off (about an hour more) had an ice bar, a celebratory piece of cake, and some water. Although I was told that there were basically no eating restrictions, I had a large lunch just in case and just wasn't hungry. At that point, I was aware of a definite annoying lump-in-my-throat feeling, but no pain. While I had no problem swallowing, the lump was uncomfortable, but I didn't need any pain killers at all.

I tried sleeping in a reclining chair at a 45 dgree angle that night as suggested, but gave that up after an hour because of that uncomfortable lump-in-the-throat feeling. I went to bed and slept on my side as I usually do and got a good night's sleep.
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DAY TWO - MARCH 5

The lump-in-the-throat feeling is diminishing, but not gone. I was told that the palette gets even looser for a week or two and snoring gets even worse until the palette begins to harden and tighten.

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