What To Expect

You may need continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) therapy after surgery. CPAP therapy uses a breathing device that you wear at night that helps you breathe more easily and prevents your airway from closing during sleep.

Some pain medicines can relax the throat muscles. You may have to avoid these medicines after surgery to make it less likely that your airways will narrow and cause apnea episodes.

How Well It Works

UPPP may reduce sleep apnea in some people, but results are mixed.^{footnote 1, footnote 2}

UPPP may stop snoring, but apnea episodes may continue.

Even if surgery successfully removes the blockage, you may still need CPAP after surgery.

What To Think About

Before considering surgery, you should try CPAP.

You will need a sleep study after UPPP surgery to find out if your sleep apnea has improved. If you still stop breathing at night, you may still need CPAP.

Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty is sometimes used to treat mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, although not all people benefit. This procedure is not recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to treat sleep apnea.^{footnote 3}

People who are obese or who have some other illnesses are more likely to have complications after UPPP.^{footnote 4}