FAQ about Snoring

• Q. What Frequently asked questions about Snoring treatment are there?
• Q. Is your clinic registered?
• Q. Is the treatment painful?
• Q. How successful are RF treatments?
• Q. How do I arrange my treatment?
• Q. How long will the treatment take?
• Q. How soon will I experience some improvement?
• Q. How much does a typical procedure cost?
• Q. Why choose this method of snoring treatment?
• Q. What are benefits of radio frequency snoring treatment?
• Q. How does radio frequency snoring treatment work?
• Q. Who performs the Snoring treatment?
• Q. What causes snoring?
• Q. How common is snoring?
• Q. The social impact of snoring
• Q. How much is cost of more extensive surgery should I require it?
• Q. Do you offer loan finance to spread the cost of the procedure?
• Q. Is your clinic registered?
• Q. Is your clinic registered?

• Q. What Frequently asked questions about Snoring treatment are there?
• A.On other pages of the website we have endeavoured to explain, in layman's terms, the causes of snoring with details of the available treatments. Below you will find a list of the most common questions that we are asked.
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• Q. Is your clinic registered?
• A.Yes, it is registered with the Healthcare Commission, HCC - registration service number 61007. We are specially allowed to perform this treatment to the precise protocols devised and agreed with the inspectors within the HCC.
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• Q. Is the treatment painful?
• A.No, the treatment is given under local anaesthetic so you will have one or more injections similar to those you get when you have dental treatment. You may feel a very slight discomfort after treatment which is readily counteracted by everyday over-the-counter tablets such as Paracetamol.
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• Q. How successful are RF treatments?
• A.At Skin Medical over 95% of our patients obtain significant noise reduction from the single procedure. The remaining patients have recorded some noise reduction. Patients that we treat who are not satisfied are invited back for a follow up procedure however this is rare due to our strict policy on patient selection. We will not treat patients who fall outside our selection criteria.Early Surveys by the RF equipment provider in 2004 revealed that more than 80%+ of patients obtained significant noise reduction. The other obtain some noise reductions of varying success rates. So why have Skin Medical improved the success rate? Our ENT Consultant has from experience created a screening process that helps identify potential obstacles for optimum results. For these cases we would either (i) Not recommend the treatment be undertaken, (ii) Recommend an additional procedure to optimise the outcome or (iii) Recommend an alternative procedure. At SKin Medical, we screen suitable clients thoroughly at our pre-assessment clinic in order to obtain higher success rates for first time treatments.
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• Q. How do I arrange my treatment?
• A.The process starts with a consultation and pre-assessment where our clinician will explain the causes of snoring, the treatment available, and our procedure. We assess your suitability fully and then propose the RF treatment best suited to you.
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• Q. How long will the treatment take?
• A.The attendance with the Consultant typically takes 20-30 minutes. The procedure starts with the ENT Consultant providing an endoscope examination and explanation of the procedure. The actual application of the RF is normally less than 10 minutes.
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• Q. How soon will I experience some improvement?
• A.The radio frequency snoring treatment shrinks the tissues that cause the snoring problems over a period of time. This will vary from patient to patient but you should expect to see some improvement in a matter of four to six weeks.
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• Q. How much does a typical procedure cost?
• A.The investment for the standard Radio Frequency surgical procedure by NHS Consultant including all Consultations and Medical Assessment fees is £1195. Loan finance is available to those patients who wish to spread the cost of the procedure and gain the benefit of having the surgery now. The cost of the initial Consultation and medical assessment is £70 which is fully refundable should the client and ENT Surgeon agree to undertake and perform the procedure. There are no additional charges for medicine or tablets. At the consultation the client is under no obligation to proceed. We do not employ sales persons. Patients are in contact with medical practitioners at all times.
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• Q. Why choose this method of snoring treatment?
• A.There are several types of artificial aids to combat snoring including nasal strips, nasal dilators and moulded mouthpieces but at Skin Medical we feel these have limited success and do not offer a long-term cure. There are also laser-assisted treatments. Although we use laser treatment for many types of skin ailments at Skin Medical, we do not think laser is a suitable snoring treatment as it is aggressive with loss of uvula, it can cause side effects, it is extremely painful for the patient during and after treatment and it has a lengthy recovery period. In addition, its is expensive. Patients often regurgitate food through the nose and are left with the permanent sensation of a lump in the throat. We chose the radio frequency method because it is the best and it does provide a long-lasting remedy. This is the conclusion of the UK Government’s National Institute of Clinical Excellence, [NICE].
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• Q. What are benefits of radio frequency snoring treatment?
• A.Radio frequency snoring treatment offers many advantages over other methods of treating restricted airways and blocked noses. It is: • a safe, effective and clinically proven procedure with a high success rate • minimally invasive and leaves no side effects • a simple outpatient procedure Arranging your snoring treatment Before any treatment commences, we arrange a consultation and pre-assessment. To make an appointment please telephone us on 0161 839 7663 or complete our online booking form, then just a few steps away from curing your snoring problems for good.
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• Q. How does radio frequency snoring treatment work?
• A.A local anaesthetic is injected in the areas to be treated, then a bipolar applicator probe is introduced to the soft palate tissue that is causing the problem. A low radio frequency current is generated via the probe for just a few seconds at selected points. This heats the soft tissue which will then harden and shrink over a period of time thus eliminating the problems that cause snoring. When the treatment is finished, the patient can take over-the-counter painkillers such as Paracetamol to counteract any slight discomfort and can resume normal activities after a short recovery period of around thirty minutes. We will then arrange a follow-up appointment to check that the treatment was satisfactory and successful.
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• Q. Who performs the Snoring treatment?
• A.Our ENT Cosultant is Mr Homer who practices at the Manchester Royal Infirmary Hospital. He is also registered on the Specialist ENT list managed by the General Medical Council. This specialism is Head and Neck and has been performing Snoring treatments initially using traditional surgery then setled on the Radio Frequeny procedure having dismissed the laser LAUP as been too aggressive and poor clinical outcome. When making your choice of surgeon make sure that they are currently working within their area of specialty in NHS, as this esures that they are kept abreast of new developments and best practise.
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• Q. What causes snoring?
• A.Snoring is often related to a physical obstruction to your breathing during sleep. The muscles of your palate, the uvula (the thing that hangs down in the back of the throat), and the tonsils relax during deep sleep and the air you breathe in causes them to vibrate noisily. Anything that narrows the airways will contribute to the problem so excessive tissue bulk at the back of the throat is a major cause. A blocked nose can also restrict nasal respiration and will encourage the vibration we know as snoring. Advance snoring problems are often associated with obstructive sleep apnea which can sometimes indicate a serious medical disorder.
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• Q. How common is snoring?
• A.It's not true that Granddad is the only person who snores when he nods off in the fireside chair - in reality, habitual snoring is a problem for 30% of all men and 10% of all women. And it gets worse as people grow older. By the time they reach sixty, snoring affects 50% of men and 30% of women.
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• Q. The social impact of snoring
• A.Snoring certainly affects the sleep pattern of the snorer so restful sleep is difficult. The snorer is not fully refreshed when he or she awakes but the effect on other members of the family can be even more devastating. Snoring can completely disrupt family life. Sleeping partners, even people trying to sleep in nearby rooms, can lose excessive amounts of sleep and this often causes resentment. In a survey carried out in 2001, 40% of the couples interviewed said that snoring had adversely affected their relationship and a staggering 80% of these had resorted to sleeping separately to escape the noise.
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• Q. How much is cost of more extensive surgery should I require it?
• A.For some patients the treatment of the uvula or the block nose will assist with reducing the snoring noise. The cost of this surgery is an additional £495 providing it is undertaken at the same time as the standard surgical procedure.
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• Q. Do you offer loan finance to spread the cost of the procedure?
• A.Yes, we are a licenced credit broker and can provide loan finance. Interest free credit is available for for 10 monthly instalment package at 0% i.e. Interest free loan.
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• Q. Is your clinic registered?
• A.Yes, it is registered with the Care Quality Commission, CQC - registration service number 61007. We are specially allowed to perform this treatment to the precise protocols devised and agreed with the inspectors within the CQC.
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• Q. Is your clinic registered?
• A.Yes, it is registered with the Care Quality Commission, CQC - registration service number 61007. We are specially allowed to perform this treatment to the precise protocols devised and agreed with the inspectors within the CQC.
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