Patient-Reported Outcomes of Barbed Reposition Pharyngoplasty in Unilevel Palatal Snoring: A Prospective Pilot Study

Objective: This prospective study aimed to evaluate the benefit of barbed reposition pharyngoplasty in the management of patients presenting with isolated unilevel palatal snoring, regardless of the presence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: Barbed reposition pharyngoplasty was performed in 16 patients with confirmed unilevel palatal snoring observed during drug-induced sleep endoscopy. Patient-reported snoring questionnaires were taken before surgery and at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 6 months after surgery. Additionally, postoperative data, including pain scores, duration of hospitalization, and complication types and rates, were reported. Results: The mean snoring intensity dropped significantly from 8.1 ± 2.0 preoperatively to 3.5 ± 2.1 after 6 months ( P < .001). The mean preoperative and postoperative snoring severity were 7.0 ± 1.5 and 3.1 ± 1.7, respectively ( P < .001). The mean snoring score decreased from 8.5 ± 1.5 to 3.6 ± 2.0 ( P < .001). The Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores decreased from 6.7 ± 4.2 to 4.9 ± 5.0, but this reduction did not reach significance ( P = .087). Mean pain scores reached a peak at 6.4 ± 1.8 on day 4. The average hospitalization period was 1.06 ± 0.25. Thread extrusion occurred in 5 patients (31.3%) with no clear effect on the outcome measures. Conclusion: Barbed reposition pharyngoplasty is an effective surgical treatment option for patients with unilevel palatal snoring, and indications for palatal surgery should not be limited to OSA. Future studies assessing objective outcome measures and longer follow-up periods are needed to validate our findings.