Because insurance often does not cover somnoplasty, patients must pay out of money. Some insurance companies will pay sleep apnea surgery and laser treatments. Sleep apnea is a dangerous medical disease characterized by pauses in breathing. However, somnoplasty has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of apnea.
Is snoring surgery covered by insurance?
Your insurance may cover some snoring operations. When your snoring is caused by a diagnosable medical condition, such as obstructive sleep apnea, surgery is frequently covered. Snoring surgery might cost several hundred to several thousand dollars without insurance. It might cost up to $10,000 if you don’t have insurance.
How much does UPPP surgery cost?
UPPP surgery might cost anything from $2,000 to $10,000. (and in some cases more). The cost varies depending on whether the uvula is only being trimmed or whether the tonsils and adenoids are also being removed. A cost can be determined once a comprehensive diagnostic has been delivered. A portion of this operation is usually covered by insurance. Once surgery is confirmed, our insurance and billing specialist will assist you in determining the exact amount that will be covered.
Does Medicare cover UPPP surgery?
Essential surgical treatments are covered by Medicare. Medicare should cover the operation if you meet certain criteria. If uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is covered by Medicare, a Medigap plan will pay the remaining costs. Those who have an Advantage plan should check with their insurer to see if they are covered.
How can I permanently stop snoring?
Air flows through the throat on its way to the lungs during normal breathing. The tongue, soft palate, uvula, and tonsils are all passed by the air. The soft palate is located near the back of the mouth’s roof. The uvula is a conspicuous anatomic feature at the rear of the mouth that dangles downward (pharynx). When a person is awake, the muscles in the back of the throat contract to keep these structures from collapsing and/or vibrating in the airway. The uvula and soft palate vibrate often during sleep, producing the characteristic sounds of snoring. Snoring can also come from the throat’s walls and the area around the tongue’s base.
The first step in snoring treatment is to rule out the possibility of obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is well-known for being linked to serious medical issues like heart disease, stroke risk, increased somnolence, and an increased risk of car accidents. For many patients, snoring is a telltale indicator of obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring, on the other hand, does not necessarily indicate sleep apnea. They require an overnight sleep study to rule out obstructive sleep apnea. A sleep medicine physician should review the test, which is normally done in a lab or at home with specialist equipment. Primary snoring occurs when snoring occurs without the presence of obstructive sleep apnea.
Somnoplasty is a one-of-a-kind surgical procedure that involves removing or hardening tissues of the uvula and soft palate to reduce snoring. In contrast to other methods (such as laser), somnoplasty uses very low amounts of radiofrequency heat energy to create finely regulated localized burn-areas beneath the mucosa of the soft palate’s soft tissues. The body gradually resorbs these burn regions, lowering the tissue volume and hardening the tissues, lessening snoring symptoms. Somnoplasty takes about 30 minutes and is performed under local anesthetic in an outpatient setting.
In the medical literature, the following complications have been described. This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list of all probable complications. It’s solely for your information, not to scare you, but to make you more aware of and knowledgeable about the procedure. Although many of these problems are uncommon, they have all occurred in the hands of qualified surgeons following community care guidelines at some point. Anyone considering surgery must assess the risks and problems of the procedure against the benefits of the procedure, or any alternative to surgery.
- Snoring is not resolved or eliminated. Most surgeons believe that roughly 80% of patients who have a somnoplasty will notice a considerable reduction in their snoring for at least a year, and that another 20% of patients will notice lowered levels of snoring to the point that their sleep companions will no longer find it offensive.
- Sleep apnea and other problematic sleep disorders are not cured. Sleep apnea and other pathological sleep disturbances are medical conditions that can lead to serious repercussions. The somnoplasty surgery has not been proved to heal these illnesses at this time.
- Nasal regurgitation, a change in voice, or velopharyngeal insufficiency (liquids flowing into the nasal cavity when swallowing) are all symptoms of velopharyngeal insufficiency (rare).
- Thermal or electrical harm to the soft palate, uvula, or mouth mucus membranes. This could result in tissue loss as a result of the burn.
- While not considered a complication, numerous snoring therapies have been known to cause return of snoring over time (typically more than a year). As the tissue extends out over time, this is felt.
How long is recovery from UPPP surgery?
Most of the time, this operation necessitates an overnight stay in the hospital to ensure that you can swallow. UPPP surgery is a painful procedure that takes 2 to 3 weeks to recover from.
- For several weeks, your throat will be quite sore. You will be given liquid pain relievers to help with the discomfort.
- Stitches in the back of your throat are possible. At your first follow-up visit, your doctor will either dissolve them or remove them.
- For the first two weeks after surgery, eat only soft foods and drinks. Foods that are gritty or difficult to chew should be avoided.
- For the first 7 to 10 days, you’ll need to rinse your mouth with a salt-water solution after each meal.
- For the first two weeks, avoid excessive lifting or straining. After 24 hours, you can walk and conduct light activity.
- After the operation, you will have a follow-up appointment with your doctor in 2 or 3 weeks.
What is somnoplasty surgery?
Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea are treated with somnoplasty, a surgical treatment. It works by employing radiofrequency energy to shrink tissue in the upper airway, such as the uvula, soft palate, and base of the tongue. This expands the area between the throat and the nose, allowing for unrestricted breathing.
Somnoplasty is a less invasive therapeutic option for upper airway blockage that provides less pain than similar treatments.
Can a person live without a uvula?
Mr. Torres was constantly exhausted. He was sleep deprived and experienced sleep apnea symptoms such as daytime lethargy, low energy, and difficulties concentrating. His snoring was a source of amusement among his friends.
Over the course of two weeks, Dr. Hiltzik treated Mr. Torres medically. When Mr. Torres’ problems persisted, the doctor and patient decided on a uvulectomy, a 10-minute in-office operation to remove the uvula.
There were a few days of post-procedure pain, followed by roughly ten days of discomfort.
Mr. Torres stated, “The treatment was absolutely worth it.” “It’s a life without snoring and continual discomfort without my uvula.”
“It’s really remarkable,” Mr. Torres says of the improvement in his sleep.