# Snoring Surgery (UPPP)

> UPPP for snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnoea by ENT surgeon Op. Dr. Cenk Teker, Istanbul. A sleep study first, then advice on whether it can help in your case.

Source: https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/procedures/uppp-surgery/  
Updated: 2026-10-29

Ear & throat

Widening the airway behind the palate for snoring and sleep apnoea, in selected patients.

[Message on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/905324153539) [Call the practice](tel:+905324153539)

Performed by Op. Dr. Cenk Teker

Operation time 45–90 minutes

Anaesthesia General

Hospital stay 1 night

Back to work 10–14 days

Final result 3 months

Snoring is the sound of a narrow airway vibrating during sleep. In many people the narrowing is at the soft palate: the flexible back part of the roof of the mouth, with the uvula hanging from it, flutters against the throat with every breath. When the airway closes completely for seconds at a time, the condition is obstructive sleep apnoea, which fragments sleep, exhausts the person during the day and strains the heart over years.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, usually shortened to UPPP, is surgery to widen the airway behind the palate. It removes excess tissue from the soft palate and the uvula, takes out the tonsils if they are present, and reshapes the side walls of the throat so that the space stays open in sleep.

## Choosing the right patient

UPPP has a mixed reputation because for years it was offered to everyone who snored, whatever the cause. It works well for the right patient and poorly for the wrong one. Dr. Teker therefore begins with a sleep study, which measures how severe the apnoea actually is, and an examination of the whole airway, sometimes with an endoscope during drug-induced sleep, to see whether the collapse happens at the palate, at the base of the tongue, or both. The nose is examined too: a [deviated septum](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/procedures/septoplasty-deviation-surgery/) or enlarged turbinates make snoring worse and are corrected first or in the same operation.

Good candidates have mild to moderate apnoea with obstruction mainly at the palate, a reasonable body weight, and either an inability to tolerate CPAP (an air-pressure mask) or a strong preference for a surgical option. For severe apnoea, CPAP remains the most reliable treatment; surgery can make it easier to use but rarely replaces it.

## Modern technique

The older operation simply cut tissue away, which sometimes left a stiff scarred palate and problems with swallowing. Current techniques, grouped under the name pharyngoplasty, reposition the palate and the muscles of the side walls forward and outward with sutures, so that the airway is widened while as much tissue as possible is kept. The uvula is trimmed rather than removed. Dr. Teker adapts the technique to the individual throat.

## Recovery

Expect a sore throat for about ten days, similar to a [tonsillectomy](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/procedures/tonsillectomy/), with regular painkillers, cool fluids and soft food. Swallowing feels different at first, and a little fluid may escape into the nose for a week or two while the palate heals. Most patients return to work in two weeks. The final result is judged at three months with a repeat sleep study.

## Keeping the result

Snoring can return with weight gain, alcohol in the evening or a blocked nose. A stable weight, a clear nose and, where needed, continued use of a mandibular device or CPAP help protect what the surgery achieved.

## Is it right for you?

- You snore loudly and it disturbs your partner or your own sleep.
- A sleep study has shown mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea.
- Examination shows a long soft palate, a large uvula or enlarged tonsils narrowing the throat.
- You cannot tolerate CPAP, or you prefer a surgical option.
- Your weight is in a reasonable range and nasal obstruction has been treated or ruled out.

## How the operation is done

1. Sleep study and examination A sleep study measures how severe the apnoea is. Endoscopy, sometimes during drug-induced sleep, shows where the airway collapses: palate, tongue base or both.
2. Treating the nose first A blocked nose worsens snoring and apnoea. A deviated septum or enlarged turbinates are corrected first or in the same operation.
3. General anaesthesia The operation is done asleep with the airway protected.
4. Tonsils and palate The tonsils are removed if present. Excess tissue of the soft palate and the tip of the uvula are trimmed.
5. Reshaping the throat The palate and side walls are repositioned and stitched forward and outward with modern pharyngoplasty techniques, widening the airway rather than only removing tissue.
6. Recovery room One night in hospital. Fluids are started early and the throat is checked before discharge.

## Recovery, step by step

1. Day 1 Sore throat, some difficulty swallowing and a feeling of something at the back of the throat. Regular painkillers, cool fluids and soft food.
2. Days 3–7 Discomfort peaks and then improves. A white healing coating is normal. Sleep may be disturbed at first by swelling.
3. Week 2 Swallowing normal. Return to work. Snoring is often already quieter.
4. Week 6 Healing is usually complete. The palate has settled into its new position.
5. Month 3 Final result. A repeat sleep study measures how much the apnoea has improved.

### A note on risks

UPPP carries the general risks of throat surgery: bleeding, including late bleeding around days five to ten, infection and anaesthetic reactions. Specific to the palate are a temporary, occasionally lasting, escape of fluid into the nose when swallowing, a change in voice resonance, a dry throat, a feeling of a lump, and altered taste. Snoring can return over years, especially with weight gain, and severe sleep apnoea is not reliably cured by palate surgery alone. Dr. Teker recommends UPPP only when a sleep study and examination show that the palate is the main site of obstruction.

In every surgical or interventional procedure, results may vary from person to person. Please obtain a detailed opinion from your physician before any procedure.

## Questions patients ask

**Will UPPP cure my sleep apnoea?**

For mild to moderate apnoea caused mainly by the palate, it can reduce or resolve it. For severe apnoea, or when the tongue base is the main problem, CPAP remains the most reliable treatment and surgery is a supporting measure.

**Do I need a sleep study first?**

Yes. Snoring alone does not show how severe the breathing problem is. The study guides the decision and lets the result be measured afterwards.

**How painful is the recovery?**

Similar to a tonsillectomy: a sore throat for about ten days, worst in the first week. Regular painkillers and good hydration make it manageable.

**Will my voice change?**

Speech resonance may sound slightly different for a few weeks while the palate heals. Lasting change is uncommon with modern techniques that reposition rather than remove tissue.

**Can snoring come back?**

It can, particularly with weight gain, alcohol before bed or a blocked nose. Keeping weight stable and the nose open helps protect the result.

Travelling from abroad? How long to stay in Istanbul, the consultation in person and follow-up after you fly home: [International patients](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/international-patients/)

## References

1. Aurora RN, Casey KR, Kristo D, Auerbach S, Bista SR, Chowdhuri S, et al. Practice Parameters for the Surgical Modifications of the Upper Airway for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults. Sleep. 2010;33(10):1408‑1413. [doi:10.1093/sleep/33.10.1408](https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/33.10.1408).
2. Kent D, Stanley J, Aurora RN, Levine C, Gottlieb DJ, Spann MD, et al. Referral of adults with obstructive sleep apnea for surgical consultation: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2021;17(12):2499‑2505. [doi:10.5664/jcsm.9592](https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.9592).

Medically reviewed by Op. Dr. Cenk Teker, 26 October 2026

## Articles on this subject

[Snoring Surgery (UPPP) · 6 min read Snoring and sleep apnoea: what palate surgery can do How snoring differs from sleep apnoea, why a sleep study comes first, everyday measures and CPAP, and where palate and tonsil surgery fits, with its risks. Read more](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/blog/snoring-and-sleep-apnoea-what-palate-surgery-can-do/)

## Related procedures

[Ear & throat Tonsillectomy Removing the tonsils for repeated tonsillitis, tonsil stones or obstructed breathing during sleep. A common operation with a set recovery plan. Read more](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/procedures/tonsillectomy/) [Nose & sinus Septoplasty (Deviated Septum Surgery) Straightening a deviated septum, the wall inside the nose, to open a blocked airway. A short operation for breathing only, done through the nostrils with no external incisions; the shape of the nose is not expected to change. Read more](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/procedures/septoplasty-deviation-surgery/) [Nose & sinus Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) Endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic sinusitis and nasal polyps that medication has not controlled. Done entirely through the nostrils, with no external cuts. Read more](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/procedures/sinus-surgery-fess/)

[All procedures](https://www.drcenkteker.com/en/procedures/)

## Talk it through with Dr. Teker

Write on WhatsApp or call to request an appointment. Consultations take place at the practice in Bakırköy.

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