Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) has been proven to be extremely effective for the treatment of snoring, and moderately effective for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, UPPP is a major surgical procedure usually requiring hospitalization and general anesthesia. Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP), which was first introduced to the United States in 1993, is a less aggressive procedure with lower morbidity than UPPP and has been found almost equally effective in the management of snoring. (The effectiveness of LAUP, however, in the management of OSA has not been defined yet.)

The LAUP procedure is designed to primarily produce shortening and tightening of the velum and uvula. The ideal LAUP candidate is a patient with primarily palato-uvular snoring without lateral pharyngeal wall redundancy or tonsillar hyperplasia and who has mild or no OSA.

The SLT Contact Laser is ideally suited to perform the LAUP procedure quickly and easily with minimal bleeding.