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Somnoplasty is comprised of the Latin root somnus meaning sleep, and the Greek word plastia meaning molding or formation. Somnoplasty is a medical treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat three conditions: habitual snoring, chronic nasal obstruction, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) using radio frequency (RF) energy to shrink the tissues that are causing the problem.

Somnoplasty is typically an out-patient procedure where you visit the office for a 30-45 minute appointment and the can go about your day.

The patient is given a local anesthetic and a special electrode is used that delivers RF energy under the surface of the tissue is used. The electrode is used to administer controlled, low-power RF energy to create coagulative (clotting) lesions beneath the mucosa (lining) of the targeted areas:

• For chronic nasal obstruction the turbinates are targeted
• For habitual snoring the soft palate and the uvula are targeted
• For obstructive sleep apnea the base of the tongue and other airway structures are targeted

(the actual areas targeted depends on each individuals specific anatomy, so the above are just general associations.

After 6-8 weeks the lesions are naturally resorbed, which reduces the volume of the tissue while stiffening what remains. When this occurs the airway is enlarged, allowing a less-restricted flow of air. Several follow-up treatments are usually required to obtain the desired results

• swelling
• discomfort

Somnoplasty was developed by a company named Somnus Medical Technologies, and received FDA clearance in November of 1998 for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.