Laser treatment of snoring and sleep apnea

So far, no pharmacological preparations have been invented to eliminate this condition.

Untreated snoring can gradually turn into a chronic and dangerous disease process, often leading to sleep apnea, and during the day to a chronic feeling of lack of sleep, concentration disorders, development of cardiovascular diseases, decreased libido and depression.

Snoring is a symptom of sleep-disordered breathing syndrome. It is a type of acoustic phenomenon that results from the vibrations of the flaccid parts of the throat - primarily the soft palate and uvula. During sleep, our muscles relax. This mainly affects the neck and palate. This causes the tongue to collapse and the mouth to open. The space of air drawn into the lungs is limited, causing it to spin. The excited air causes the flaccid parts of the throat to move, which produces a characteristic sound.

People with an enlarged uvula, an elongated soft palate and enlarged palatine tonsils are particularly at risk. A small jaw, but also the fat deposited on the chin, also contributes to snoring. All causes of impaired nasal patency, such as deviation of the nasal septum, inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, allergic rhinitis or hypertrophy of the nasal turbinates, are important causes of snoring.
The patient's age is also an important factor, as older people are characterized by lower throat elasticity. < /p>

Factors that increase the chances of snoring include:

• smoking
• consumption of alcohol,
• obesity
• eating large amounts of food before bed.

Nearly half of adults snore occasionally without realizing it. It is commonly believed that men snore more often, but it turns out that women around the age of 50 can snore just as often. This symptom is particularly embarrassing for women who snore because it is associated with a masculine trait.

Objective medical research, however, confirms that only laser treatment of snoring is effective. The effectiveness of properly conducted surgical treatment is very high and amounts to approximately 90%.

This innovative laser snoring treatment - the Nightlase system - is performed in our center with the Er:Yag laser from Fotona Spectro SP with a light wavelength of 2940nm.

Erbium lasers Photons use this wavelength for minimally ablative, rapid treatments that remove trace elements of damaged tissue, resulting in a profound thermal effect. Classic non-ablative fractional treatments leave thousands of trace elements in the skin, consisting of hot, dead remnants of the treated tissue. Excess heat from this tissue becomes trapped in the skin, causing unnecessary pain and discomfort. Fotona's fractionating head instantly removes hot tissue debris from the skin, reducing pain and speeding recovery. Clean microchannels have the same thermal impact zone as microchannels after non-ablative fractional treatment, but do not cause irritation, swelling or pain. After treatment with the Fractional Photon head, the microchannels close and heal much faster than in the case of classic non-ablative fractional techniques. Fotona Spectro SP's Er:YAG laser achieves maximum effects with the minimum depth of laser beam penetration. Spectro SP for fast, cold ablation in XLP (extended pulse) mode provides the deepest thermal effects. This laser can ablate the epidermis or skin micron by micron, ensuring unrivaled precision and treatment control, short recovery periods and higher patient comfort and satisfaction. At the same time, Fotona Spectro SP, thanks to the highest power and advanced safety systems, is the fastest and safest laser on the market. The Er:YAG laser combined with innovative fractionating heads allows for minimally invasive and safe treatments: skin photorejuvenation or removal of scars or stretch marks.

Innovation in snoring treatment with the FOTONA laser:

NightLase is a quick and non-invasive method that improves the patient's sleep quality. The NightLase treatment, thanks to the use of Er:YAG laser radiation with a delicate, superficial effect, reduces the occurrence of apneas and the amplitude of snoring. No anesthesia is required for the procedure. During NightLase treatments, the laser light heats the tissue, causing collagen contraction and thus stiffening the tissue. This, in turn, alleviates the vibrations of the soft parts of the palate and the uvula and reduces the occurrence of apneas.
The complete treatment procedure consists of three separate treatments performed over 6 weeks. A single treatment consists of an initial and final phase.
As a non-invasive method, it does not require special preparation of the patient.
Research conducted by Fotona scientists and independent researchers has shown that the treatment reduces snoring and reduces the severity of sleep apnea in patients with this condition.

How long does laser snoring treatment take?

The procedure may take from 20 minutes to 1 hour. The procedure is so quick that it can be performed during lunch. After its completion, the patient can return to previous activities.

How many treatments are needed?

It is recommended to carry out four sessions on the 1st, 14th and 28th day of the treatment cycle and 30 days after the last treatment.
The procedure is performed after collecting an interview and an ENT examination qualifying the patient for this painless procedure that does not require anesthesia.

What does the FOTON laser treatment of snoring look like?

The laser treatment for snoring involves heating the uvula, palatal arches, soft palate and the lateral parts of the tongue.
During the treatment, approximately 6,000 impulses are applied depending on the degree of laxity of the throat. As a result of thermal impact, the exposed area shrinks and collagen fibers are stimulated.

Advantages of this method:

• Non-invasive – treatment without the use of a scalpel
• Safe
• Painless
• Fast
• Without anesthesia
• Does not limit daily activity

Contraindications to laser therapy:

• Pregnancy
• Diabetes
• Pacemaker
• Bloathing disorders
• Epilepsy
• Tan (too much accumulated melanin absorbs a large dose of energy, which may cause skin discoloration). You should not sunbathe (sun, solarium) for 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after the procedure
• Tendency to discoloration
• Active viral or bacterial lesions on the skin, e.g. herpes
• Active infection (e.g. bad tooth, cold)
• Use of certain medicines:
• Medicines that reduce blood clotting; anticoagulants, e.g. aspirin
• Steroids
• Photosensitizing drugs: some antibiotics, e.g. tetracycline, doxycycline, vitamin A derivatives, some cardiological drugs and others, e.g. furagine
• Use of some herbs: marigold, St. John's wort, horsetail
• Using creams with retinol

Recommendations for the patient after laser treatment of snoring:

• Avoiding physical exercise
• Avoiding prolonged head tilt for 14 days
• Avoiding eating very cold or hot foods

Why do we perform LASER TREATMENT OF Snoring with the Er:YAG FOTONA SPECTRO SP laser?

Fotona neodymium-jagum Nd:YAG and Er:YAG lasers are modern devices enabling a number of procedures in the field of surgery, dermatology and aesthetic medicine. The spectrum of applications is very wide, ranging from laser epilation, through acne treatment, photorejuvenation, to the treatment of skin cancer, removal of varicose veins and laser lipolysis procedures. The Spectro SP laser achieves maximum effects with a minimum depth of laser beam penetration. This laser is the ideal tool for fast, cold ablation. Photona's Variable Square Pulse (VSP) technology adjusts laser parameters to suit the treatment, ensuring ease of use. Square pulses can treat a variety of indications with unparalleled effectiveness, without overheating adjacent tissues, thus ensuring patient comfort. Additionally, built-in pulse feedback control (EFC) technology ensures that the laser output energy is always consistent with the parameters set for the patient, thus ensuring the highest level of system safety and reliability.

The average power in quasi-continuous pulse mode is 30 WAT. The competition doesn't even come close to this result. Thanks to this, treatments are performed much faster and more effective. In the hands of a doctor, this laser is an almost perfect tool.

Effective treatment of snoring with the FOTON laser:

The Spectro SP laser is the most powerful combination of an Nd:YAG and Er:YAG laser. It provides the widest range of ablative and non-ablative treatments that a single laser system can offer. The Nd:YAG Photons laser, which is part of this laser, with long pulses is characterized by homogeneous penetration and low absorption by tissue chromophores. These two advantages allow the Nd:YAG laser to reach deeper structures without damaging the epidermis, regardless of skin type.

Innovation of the Nd:YAG and Er:YAG lasers Fotona Spectro SP:

This laser is equipped with a number of innovative solutions such as EFC (impulse feedback control) - a system that provides a previously unavailable degree of control over the energy of the laser beam pulse. Thanks to each calibration of the device, the laser always provides a beam with precisely defined parameters, which increases the safety and effectiveness of the treatment. Another innovation in Fotona Spectro SP lasers is the VSP system (variable square pulse - a patented solution) that allows the generation of a pulse with given parameters with a negligible rise and fall time of the pulse energy. Thanks to this, the efficiency of the laser beam increases and at the same time the effectiveness and speed of treatment improves compared to other devices.
The Fotona Spectro SP laser, thanks to the highest power and advanced safety system, is the fastest and safest laser on the market.

The security of the Fotona Spectro SP system is:

• EFC (impulse feedback control)

Thanks to this system, we avoid a decrease in laser power during the treatment, which could lead to weaker or incomplete results. We also do not have to worry about energy surges that may cause tissue damage.

• VSP (variable square pulse)

Unlike other systems, where there is a sudden jump in energy and then a slow decrease, in the Fotona Spectro SP system the pulse energy distribution is even. This protects us against overheating and tissue burns. At the same time, the effectiveness and safety of treatments radically improve.

The effectiveness of the Fotona Spectro SP system is:

The Fotona Spectro SP laser, thanks to the combination of two laser beam wavelengths: Nd:YAG - 1064nm and Er:YAG - 2940nm, has the widest range of therapeutic services among all those available on the Polish market. The neodymium-Jag laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm is the deepest penetrating laser beam available on the market, thanks to which it can destroy large-diameter vessels hidden deep under the skin. At the same time, thanks to its homogeneity, it has a very wide range of applications and minimizes the risk of tissue damage. High power in quasi-continuous pulse mode is 30 Watts. The competition doesn't even come close to Siudo's result. Using the 2940nm wave, for minimally ablative quick treatments that remove microelements of damaged tissue, resulting in a deep thermal effect. Classic non-ablative fractional treatments leave thousands of trace elements in the skin, consisting of hot, dead remnants of the treated tissue. Excess heat from this tissue becomes trapped in the skin, causing unnecessary pain and discomfort. The Fotona head immediately removes hot tissue residues from the skin, reducing pain and accelerating recovery. Clean microchannels have the same thermal impact zone as microchannels after non-ablative fractional treatment, but do not cause irritation, swelling or pain. After treatment with a fractionating Photon head, the microchannels close and heal much faster than in the case of classic non-ablative fractional techniques. Thanks to this, treatments performed with the Fotona Spectro SP system are much faster and more effective. With this laser system, all patient needs can be met, achieving excellent clinical results and unprecedented gentleness.