As we have  mentioned that the frequently vibration of uvula and soft palate during sleep causing the distinctive sounds of snoring. Somnoplasty is an unique surgical method for reducing habitual snoring by removing tissues of the uvula and soft palate.

Unlike other approaches (such as the laser), somnoplasty uses a thin needle connected to a source of radiofrequency signals to shrink the tissues in the soft palate, throat, or tongue. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of snoring in 1997. The needle is inserted beneath the surface layer of cells and heated to a temperature between 158°F (70°C) and 176°F (80°C). The upper layer of cells is unaffected, but the heated tissue is destroyed and gradually reabsorbed by the body over the next four to six weeks. These burn- areas are eventually resorbed by the body, shrinking the tissue volume, opening the passageway for air, and thereby reducing symptoms of snoring.

Somnoplasty stiffens the remaining layers of tissue as well as reducing the total volume of tissue. Some patients require a second treatment, but most find that their snoring is significantly improved after only one. The procedure takes about 30 minutes and is performed under local anesthesia.

somnoplasty can also result in major complications, including:

• Prolonged pain, infection, bleeding, or impaired healing.
• Nasal regurgitation, a change in voice, or velopharyngeal insufficiency whereby liquids may flow into the nasal cavity during swallowing (rare).
• Thermal or electrical injury to the mucus membranes of the soft palate, uvula, or mouth. This may result in tissue loss by burn.
• Need for revision, or further and more aggressive surgery.