Sleep Related Disorders and Snoring Surgery

The snoring sound is caused by air turbulence in the upper respiratory tract due to anatomic stenosis and the collapse of mucous membrane tubes. The latter can be visualized as an indoor tennis tent, which is not stabilized by the airflow. Thus, it collapses in certain areas, or even as a whole.

Snoring is always an audible nuisance to one's partner. Additionally, it can be an expression of slow development of heart-lung disease. We especially consider this when it occurs in conjunction with nightly interruptions in breathing (obstructive sleep apnea). Minor occurrence often leads only to an increase of daytime sleepiness and reduced performance. However, in severe cases, snoring can eventually lead to serious cardiovascular illness.

An ambulatory sleep study can provide information on the severity of the sleeping disorder. Depending on the findings, it may be necessary to undergo a surgical procedure (the so-called snoring surgery) of the nose, paranasal sinuses, and/or the soft palate. The latter refers to coblation (CAPT), which is coblation-assisted reduction, tautening and contouring of the soft palate and uvula.

Snoring in children

Light snoring sounds are commonly present with young children. This has to do with the still very narrow anatomical proportions, which are strained, by the polyps and/or the tonsils. Such snoring does not mean the child has a disease, even if it is more pronounced when the child has a cold. In the course of growing up, the child's airways widen and the polyps reduce in size, whereby this phenomena generally resolves itself.

It is different in cases of excessively large polyps and/or tonsils. These can undergo such an expansion in size that nasal breathing is only minimally, or no longer, possible. In addition, the base of the tongue falls to the back of the throat during sleep such that breathing temporarily stops, also with young children. This leads to a marked oxygen desaturation. The consequences of such sleeping disorders are fatigue, performance, and learning impairment, susceptibility to infections and even heart and lung diseases. In these cases, we can offer a very gentle method of outpatient coblation tonsillotomy. We reduce the tonsils in this procedure, thus, they may resume their function as an immunologically active organ. Hospitalization is not necessary with this procedure, differing from the tonsillectomy procedure.

Snoring - Great Night-time Music
Article in German by Dr. Bernd Schuster in GQ. Download as PDF

Darling, Please Do Not Snore
Article in German by Dr. Bernd Schuster in PENTHOUSE. Download as PDF

The Art of Sleeping - Strategies of Modern Sleep Medicine
Article in German by Dr. Bernd Schuster in ELLE PLUS. Download as PDF

When Women Snore
Article in German by Dr. Bernd Schuster in beauty + AESTHETIC. Download as PDF