Surgery Could Save Your Marriage

Published February 19, 1987. Two weeks ago I wrote a column which included a letter from a concerned wife. Her husband has begin snoring after 15 years of marriage. She was worried because the only way they can sleep now is to spend the night in different rooms. This, she noted, creates other sensitive problems in a marriage.

I invited readers to send in comments, and one reader from Salt Lake sent me a very interesting article. It is titled “Snoring . . . Just a Social Problem?” It appeared in the Winter 1986 edition of Health Care Digest and was written by Dr. J. Barry Nielsen, who specializes in surgery of the ears, nose, and throat. He has a private practice in the Cottonwood Medical Tower in Murray.

Dr. Nielsen notes that snoring has been a source of aggravation and embarrassment for as long as people have been sleeping together. In fact, some 300 anti-snoring devices have been invented and patented.

Snoring, he observes, can be caused by a variety of physical factors such as enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids in children. In adults in can result from the obstruction or narrowing of the upper air passages. Blockage in the nose, too much tissue in the soft palate, and extra or “floppy” tissue at the back or sides of the throat all may be contributing factors. Or, snoring can be caused by an abnormally posterior placement of the tongue and/or jaws.

Heavy snoring could be a clue to a more serious problem known as “sleep apnea.” According to the Murray physician, sleep apnea is a medical term used to describe a disorder when there are moments when breathing actually stops for a short period of time. If these “apneic” episodes are long or frequent enough, they lead to significantly decreased oxygen in the blood. This, in turn, may lead to restless sleep, excessive daytime drowsiness, irritability, and in rare cases could actually be life-threatening.

Dr. Nielsen notes that an interesting new technique in dealing with sleep apnea is a form of surgery called unvulopalatopharyngoplasty or UPPP for short. Initially introduced in Japan, UPPP is now performed extensively in the United States. And the good news for heavy snorers is that one does not actually have to have sleep apnea to benefit from the surgery.

The article points out that UPPP is a relatively simple procedure directed at removing the “excess” tissue in the back of the throat. It is performed in the hospital under general anesthetic, but the hospitalization need not be prolonged. And post-operative recovery usually involves little more than a moderate sore throat.

Dr. Nielsen suggests that UPPP is not the only or even the necessarily preferred form of therapy in all cases of snoring. “But,” he notes, “if you are a nocturnal noisemaker, there may be solution better than separate rooms. And if there are symptoms suggestive of sleep apnea, then medical consultation ought to be considered.”

Isn’t it interesting what you read in this column? The next time you and your spouse are alone for a few moments look reflective and then say, “You know, honey, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty could save our marriage.”

Interesting article! We thank the reader for sharing.