Patient Outcomes after Soft Palate Implant Placement for Treatment of Snoring

Background: Multiple options are available for the treatment of snoring. Our objective was to evaluate a palatal implant system in the treatment of snoring caused specifically by retrovelar collapse. Study Design: Prospective long-term study comparing snoring outcomes pre- and post-soft palate implantation. Method: Snoring patients without significant sleep apnea were offered palatal implantation after assessment via strict inclusion/exclusion criteria. Snoring severity was rated by the bed partner, in a longitudinal fashion, using a Likert scale both in the preoperative and postoperative settings. Paired Student t-tests were used to compare the mean snoring severity preoperatively and at different points of time postoperatively up to 1 year and to compare patient's body mass indices over the study timeline. Results: Data were obtained from 25 patients over a follow-up time of 1 year, for a total of 75 implants. A statistically and clinically significant improvement in the snoring was noted over the 52-week time period of the study in our patient population (mean preoperative score = 9.5, mean 52-week postoperative score = 5.0; p < .001). Body mass index did not significantly change over the duration of the study. Conclusion: In our patient population, soft palate implantation was a safe and effective technique for achieving a subjective improvement in the intrusiveness of snoring as noted by the bed partner.