What happens after the procedure? Does uvula removal have any side effects? Zachary D. Wassmuth, MD Dr. Twitter Facebook.
What is Balloon Sinuplasty? What is Sleep Apnea? What is Eustachian Tube Balloon Dilation? This website uses cookies to improve your experience.
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These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Complications after surgery may include: Problems swallowing. Speech problems. The surgery may result in a nasal quality to the voice. Changes in how food tastes.
Swelling, pain, infection, or bleeding. Narrowing of the airway in the nose and throat. Sleepiness and periods of not breathing apnea related to the medicines that are used to relieve pain and help you sleep.
Related Information Sleep Apnea. References Citations Sundaram S, et al. Surgery for obstructive sleep apnoea in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 4. Caples SM, et al. Other than for obstructive sleep apnea and HANE, an uvulectomy is uncommon in the western world and is more commonly practiced in African and Middle Eastern countries. You do not need to be "put to sleep" using general anesthesia for a uvulectomy. This surgery can be done with local anesthetics to numb the area around your uvula.
After you have had time to sufficiently desensitize the area, your surgeon will likely use either a laser-ablation technique or a hot snare approach. Your surgeon will either perform a low very little of the uvula is removed , middle half of the uvula is removed , or high complete removal uvulectomy. Following the procedure, you will only need to be observed for about 15 minutes after the procedure and should not have any significant pain or bleeding with either approach.
Prior to going home following a uvulectomy, you will be prescribed an antibiotic and some pain medicine. If you should experience severe pain you should return to your surgeon or go to the emergency department.
If significant bleeding occurs go immediately to the emergency department. Minor amounts of bleeding can be dealt with by your surgeon, however, post-operative bleeding after a uvulectomy is rare. In some African and Middle Eastern countries, there are ritualistic reasons for having uvulectomies performed, particularly in children.
In Nigeria and Niger, the Hausa believe that the uvula places newborn babies at risk for dying from a swollen uvula.
To prevent this from occurring, it is common to have the uvula removed by 7 days after birth. The barber-surgeon identifies whether the ritual should be performed by looking at the uvula for redness, seeing if it is swollen, or looking for a finger imprint after pressing on the forehead.
The ritualistic practice includes:. In some countries, variations to this practice may also include a hymenectomy, circumcision, and replacement of the sickle-shaped knife with another ritualistic tool reed-fork, horsehair, or a hot knife.
Ethiopians and the Sinai Bedouins of Egypt believe that their children will be more tolerant of thirst in the desert by performing the ritual. Some other reasons for performing a ritualistic uvulectomy include:. Risks with modern uvulectomies are minimal.
However, pain, bleeding, and infections are possible risks. We explain what to…. Researchers say children who undergo tonsillectomies have a higher risk of asthma and respiratory infections as adults. Experts say achieving herd immunity to COVID will be a slow, step-by-step process that will rely heavily on how many people get vaccinated. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Uvula Removal Surgery. Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M. Why might it have to be removed?
Do I need to prepare for uvula removal? What happens during surgery? What happens after the procedure? Does uvula removal have any side effects? How long does it take to recover?
The bottom line. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M. Sleep Disorders.
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