Additional palatal implants for refractory snoring.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate safety and efficacy of additional palatal implants for snoring treatment. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A prospective case series at two clinical sites in an office setting. Patients who did not have an acceptable reduction in snoring intensity after an initial 3 implant procedure received additional implants. Bed partners rated snoring intensity on a 10 cm visual analog scale (VAS) at baseline and 90 days postprocedure. RESULTS: Snoring intensity VAS decreased significantly from 6.4 +/- 2.3 to 4.6 +/- 2.9 (P < 0.01) for patients who received an additional fourth implant, and to 4.1 +/- 2.8 after the 5th implant (P<0.01). Epworth sleepiness scale scores also decreased significantly for patients who received additional fourth or fifth implants. There were no adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Additional palatal implants for snoring treatment were safe and effective in this case series. SIGNIFICANCE: Additional implants may offer relief for snorers not responding to the initial 3 implant procedure.