What is radiofrequency ablation of the tongue?
Base of tongue ablation, also known as radiofrequency ablation (RFA), is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which small amounts of targeted energy are directed at the base of the tongue or palate in order to tighten and reduce tissue.
How can I shrink my tongue?
Coblation, use of radiofrequency energy and saline (salty water) may be used to shrink and tighten muscle and tissue near the back of the tongue. This surgery is also performed while the patient is under anesthesia. The surgery results in a permanent reduction in tongue size and does not affect the surrounding areas.
How does tongue reduction work?
The tongue-base suture suspension procedure addresses obstruction in the tongue base and hypopharynx. In this procedure, a submucosal suture is anchored to the genial tubercle to prevent the tongue from collapsing and occluding the pharynx when muscle activity is reduced during sleep.
What is tongue base resection?
In certain patients, the base of the tongue is overly large, causing them to be more prone to sleep apnea. For such patients, tongue base reduction is a minimally invasive surgical procedure to effectively reduce the size of the tongue, relieving the symptoms of sleep apnea.
How much is tongue reduction surgery?
The average length of stay in patients who underwent partial glossectomy for macroglossia was 9.59 days (Range 1-211 days, median 3.45 days) and the average cost was $56,602 (median $16,330).
What procedures can be done to stop snoring?
Surgical options include: Somnoplasty: A minimally invasive procedure to reduce the soft tissue in the upper airway or back of the throat. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy: Removing the tonsils and/or adenoids may be needed to prevent snoring.
What is the removal of the tongue called?
A glossectomy is the surgery done to remove part of or all of the tongue.
Can a fat tongue affect speech?
Macroglossia is the medical term for an unusually large tongue. Enlargement of the tongue can cause cosmetic and functional difficulties while speaking, eating, swallowing and sleeping.
Can a tongue be made smaller?
It can cause difficulties with feeding, breathing, drooling, speech, the position of the teeth and jaw and may affect your child’s facial appearance. Tongue reduction surgery will help overcome the difficulties caused by having a large tongue by making it smaller.