ABSTRACT
TCRF palatoplasty appears to give comparable results in snoring control to the more invasive surgical options presently available. Whether by decreasing the frequency of snore-related arousals during sleep, and/or by improving overall airway resistance, the procedure also produces a salutary effect on daytime sleepiness and sleep efficiency. For the patient, TCRF palatoplasty offers a well-tolerated, safe, and effective in-office procedure, with minimal posttreatment discomfort, complications, or disruption of normal activities. For the practitioner, the procedure is easy to perform with few postoperative problems. The absence of significant changes in palatal anatomy and function with TCRF not only allows retreatment, but also will not complicate future more invasive surgical approaches, or the use of oral appliances and positive airway pressure devices (cpap) should they be needed. Minimal invasiveness with comparable clinical effectiveness makes TCRF palatoplasty well suited as a first-line approach when a surgical option is sought for the control of symptoms associated with bothersome snoring, UARS, and mild OSAS.
