Four-year outcomes of palatal implants for primary snoring treatment: A prospective longitudinal study

Abstract

Objectives/Hypothesis: The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of palatal implants as the treatment of primary snoring. Study Design: Prospective longitudinal cohort study. Methods: This study compared snoring outcomes before and after soft palate implantation for patients diagnosed with primary snoring (no sleep apnea). Snoring severity was obtained by the subjects' sleep partners on a 10-point Likert scale. A paired Student t test compared the mean scale values preoperatively at week 52 and at the current 4-year follow-up. Body mass index for each patient was also compared to evaluate for any significant confounders. Results: Data were obtained from 23 patients out of 26 who were followed for the full study term. The follow-up time was on average 4 years following palatal implantation. A statistically (P