High-intensity non-ablative lasers in sleep-disordered breathing

Abstract

Primary snoring and severe apnea are considered sleep-disordered breathing and represent different degrees of severity of the same disorder which affects around one billion people worldwide. It is more common in men and the elderly. The noise is caused by the soft tissues's vibration in the regions of greatest constriction of the upper airways. Increased cardiovascular risk, emergence of chronic diseases and use of medications are due to the progression and evolution of the disease. After determining optimal irradiation conditions, this study aimed to evaluate the treatment of snoring with sequential high-intensity non-ablative irradiation with two pulsed lasers Nd:YAG and Er:YAG comparing the results before and after treatment. A randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial is underway with the approval of the research ethics committee. To date, 32 of 40 volunteers transitioning between primary snoring and moderate obstructive sleep apnea have been treated in three sessions of nonablative laser irradiation, 14 days apart. The volume of the oropharyngeal space for air passage was analyzed by photographic record according to the modified Mallampati index. Oxygen saturation, snoring severity and sleep quality will also be evaluated. The primary clinical outcome obtained was the expansion of the upper airway lumen by reducing tissue compliance and, therefore, reducing or eliminating snoring, in an outpatient procedure. The reduction of snoring is due to the decrease in tissue compliance.