Somnoplasty Side Effects: The Most Common Complications

No surgical intervention can be expected to be without side effects, adverse reactions or post or intra-operative complications. However the only redeeming feature about somnoplasty side effects is that they are mild, manageable and do not create any serious complications for the patient.

Before we talk more in detail about somnoplasty side effects and the possible complications that can be expected from the procedure, let us briefly run through the various types of somnoplasty performed for different purposes:

• Somnoplasty for treating snoring involves operation on the soft palate. The procedure shrinks and stiffens the relevant tissues in the soft palate.

• For curing chronic nasal congestion, somnoplassty involves operation on the nasal turbinates. The procedure reduces the volume of turbinates thereby easing the normal breathing process.

• Tissues in the upper airway including those at the back of the mouth, nose and throat are operated upon when somnoplasty is used to cure sleep apnea. Here too, somnoplasty shrinks the tissues creating the obstruction thereby allowing smooth air flow.

What kind of complications and somnoplasty side effects can be expected?

These are very similar to any outpatient surgical intervention.

• Bleeding, infection, swelling and blood clots are some of the expected somnoplasty side effects.

• Some tissues adjoining the area of surgery can be injured during the procedure.

• Some patients have also reported breathing difficulties during surgery.

• One of the factors about somnoplasty side effects that concern most people is that somnoplasty may not always significantly improve the condition. This necessitates a repeat surgery or another more extensive procedure to be performed on the patient.

Most somnoplasty side effects get resolved with time

Though somnoplasty side effects affect many patients, many of them get resolved with time. These somnoplasty side effects include sore throat or inflammation. Sometimes the treated tissues get swollen and this results in snoring getting worse immediately after the operation. However snoring does reduce within 1 or 2 weeks after surgery and continue to lessen in the coming months. Most of the post-operative pain can be reduced by pain killers available over the counter.

While swelling and resultant discomfort are two of the most common somnoplasty side effects, there is nothing to be overtly worried about –as these subside sooner than you imagined.