Soft palate injections?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
gargoyle
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:21 am

Soft palate injections?

Post by gargoyle » Thu Feb 17, 2005 8:42 pm

What happened to the new technology of injecting a substance into the soft palate which hardens it and keeps it from collapsing into the throat? I saw it on the new about a year or two ago. Any more news?

Dave Hargett
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Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 12:09 am
Location: Chicago suburbs
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Post by Dave Hargett » Fri Feb 18, 2005 12:27 am

You're talking, I think, about injection snoreplasty. It was actually resurrected from the past, having been printed in a book in the 40's I think.

Anyway, the original chemical agent they were using in all the studies was discontinued by the manufacturer and that slowed it down considerably.

It was also thought it might help with snoring, and was only just barely beginning to be in test for mild apnea.

I suspect that injection snoreplasty, somnoplasty, Pillar procedure and others that attempt to somehow stiffen the soft palate will always do more for snorers and not much for sleep apnea, especially for anyone with severe sleep apnea.