Is surgery for snoring necessary?

I snore very loudly and it is disruptive to the rest of my family. I went to see a doctor about it and he suggested that I get surgery. The snoring does not affect my sleep in any way, is surgery necessary or are there other solutions?

Doctors Answers (4)

J. Douglas Hudson, MD, DABSM
Answered on: 1/13/2014

Surgery to treat snoring is occasionally effective, but you must first make certain that the snoring is not a sign of sleep apnea which is even less often cured with surgery. You do not know if your snoring is adversely affecting your sleep unless you have a normal sleep study. It may not only be associated with sleep apnea, but may disrupt your restorative sleep and affect your oxygen levels. There may be long term effects on brain function. Just getting surgery is not the answer.

SomnoDiagnostics, Inc.
Answered on: 1/10/2014

Depending on your circumstances, snoring may be alleviated by surgery. However, you note it does not affect my sleep in any way. You should have a valid sleep study determining that your sleep isn't affected. Other options might be nasal strips, but that only works in a minimal amount of cases.

Richard L. Jacobson, D.M.D., M.S.
Answered on: 1/8/2014 1

A 20 second scan we take will determine whether your snoring is a part of an airway obstruction and thus decreases your oxygen saturation while sleeping. If so, the extent of the decrease in oxygen is important and can adversely affect your health long term.

Robert C. Jones, M.D.
Answered on: 1/7/2014 6

Surgery is not the only remedy for snoring. More importantly, however, snoring can be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), even if no other symptoms are detected. OSAS can be treated with CPAP or an oral appliance. It is advised that you be evaluated by a sleep disorder specialist to discuss the best course of treatment for you.