Practice parameters for the use of laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty

This paper, which has been reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors of the American Sleep Disorders Association, provides the background for the Standards of Practice Committee's practice parameters for the practice of sleep medicine in North America. An office-based surgical procedure, laser- assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP), has recently been promoted as a treatment for snoring. The American Sleep Disorders Association's Standards of Practice Committee reviewed the medical literature and developed practice parameters for the use of this operation. Adequate controlled studies regarding LAUP were not found in peer-reviewed journals; therefore, patients should be informed that the risks, benefits, and complications of this procedure have not been established. Because inadequate validation studies exist, prudence dictates that patients who elect this procedure undergo appropriate preoperative evaluation and postoperative follow-up.