Areas of Practice
Surgery for snoring

"Snoring" sounds occur when the air passages in the nose and mouth become partially blocked. When the airways in the nose and mouth are blocked during breathing, air tries to pass around the blockage, resulting in the hoarse rattles called snoring. In many cases, the cause of the noise referred to as snoring can fully or partially be traced to the soft palate - the area located on the roof of your mouth between the hard palate and the uvula. As its name implies, the soft palate is soft and when the airway becomes obstructed, the soft palate often flutters or vibrates, banging against other structures in the airway creating the noise referred to as snoring.

Now there's a simple, safe, minimally invasive treatment for snoring and mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Unlike other painful and invasive surgical procedures, the Pillar Procedure is a simple treatment that your doctor can perform in a single short office visit or in combination with other procedures. More than 30,000 people worldwide have been treated with the Pillar Procedure.

During the Pillar Procedure, three tiny polyester implants are placed into the soft palate. Over time, the implants, together with the body's natural fibrotic response, add structural support to and stiffen the soft palate. This structural support and stiffening reduce the tissue vibration that can cause snoring and the palatal tissue collapse that can obstruct the upper airway and cause obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Clinical studies of the Pillar Procedure have shown that: