Temperature‐Controlled Radiofrequency Tissue Volume Reduction in the Human Soft Palate

Abstract

The multiple lesion protocol was the most successful; reducing snoring from 7.6 to 2.7, on a VAS with an average of 1232 J delivered over 1.6 treatments. Temperature-controlled radiofrequency was found to be a minimally invasive, well-tolerated procedure that was safe and efficacious in this study group.

Radiofrequency ablation treatment of soft palate for patients with snoring: A systematic review of effectiveness and adverse effects

“…Only four of the studies reported the duration of snoring before the treatment decision 12, 14–16. The obstruction site was assessed clinically (with or without endoscopy) in 27 studies,7, 12–36 with the use of cephalometry in four,7, 12, 13, 22 and with sleep endoscopy in three studies 15, 20, 30…”

“…In most of the studies body mass index (BMI) above 30 to 35 was used as an exclusion criterion. In six studies the BMI was not reported as an inclusion criterion, but was mentioned in the results section 21, 24, 27–29, 36. BMI was reported in relation to the treatment results in two reports,20, 33 and only two studies failed to report it at all 31, 34.…”

Non-CPAP therapies in obstructive sleep apnoea

“…No serious adverse events after interstitial radiofrequency have been reported, though overall complication rates ranged from 0% to 50% [229][230][231][232][233]. The most frequently reported complication was mucosal erosion/ulceration.…”

Radiofrequency for the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis Refractory to Medical Therapy

“…In recent years, radiofrequency (RF) surgery has been widely applied to various otolaryngological disorders including simple snoring, sleep‐related disorders, nasal obstruction due to turbinate hypertrophy, and obstructive tonsillar hypertrophy. 9–19 The safety and efficacy of RF turbinate surgery for hypertrophied turbinate has been well demonstrated with respect not only to subjective improvement of the symptoms, but also to objective changes in nasal function. 20 Compared with the traditional surgical procedures, the main advantages of RF surgery are the sparing of the overlying mucosa and the decrease in operative morbidity and postoperative complications.…”