Life Healthcare is a leading private hospital operator in South Africa and primarily serves the market for privately insured individuals, representing approximately eight million people. The group provides mainly acute care, high technology private hospital services.
Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital is a large Provincial government funded hospital situated in central Mthatha in South Africa. It is a tertiary teaching hospital and forms part of the Mthatha Hospital Complex.
The extensive hospital network includes 64 hospitals (of which 57 are majority owned by Life Healthcare and another seven in which the group holds substantial minority ownership), providing a range of healthcare services throughout South Africa.
What is Laser-Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP)?
LAUP is a surgical procedure for the removal of the uvula and a portion of the soft palate using a carbon dioxide laser. Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty is used in the treatment of habitual snoring and sleep apnea.
How is LAUP Performed?
The patient is made to sit up on a chair.
Local anesthesia is sprayed on the patient’s throat, tonsils, soft palate, and uvula, which is a tiny triangle shaped tissue that suspends from soft palate over the back of the tongue.
Some more anesthetic is injected into the uvula muscle tissue.
A carbon dioxide laser is used to make a couple of vertical cuts in the soft palate on both the sides of the uvula.
A third cut is made to remove the uvula tip and a portion of the soft palate.
How to Prepare for the LAUP procedure?
The patient needs to go through a number of tests to evaluate:
The total and differential white blood cell count
The blood hemoglobin percentage
The bleeding and clotting time
A polysomnography is performed to determine the degree of sleep apnea that the patient is suffering from. Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is performed only on patients who experience mild to moderate sleep apnea. If LAUP is performed only to treat snoring, the patient may continue to suffer from sleep apnea without snoring.
The patient’s medical history and lifestyle factors are examined.
The patient goes through a physical check-up and an otolaryngological examination.
About LAUP
Key facts to plan your treatment: how long it takes, your hospital stay, anaesthesia, risks and recovery.
Duration of surgery/treatment
Approximately 30 minutes
Number of sessions required
LAUP usually requires a sequence of 3 to 5 treatments.
If more LAUP treatment sessions are required, they are separated 4 to 8 weeks apart.
Days admitted
None. LAUP is performed as an outpatient procedure.
Anesthesia
Local or general anesthesia
Recovery
- The surgery may not be effective
- Severe pain for many weeks
- Worsening of obstructive sleep apnea
- Permanent change in voice
Risks
- The surgery may not be effective
- Severe pain for many weeks
- Worsening of obstructive sleep apnea
- Permanent change in voice
After care
- Light bleeding after the surgery can be dealt by spitting out the blood and gurgling with cold water.
- Persistent or heavy postoperative bleeding should be reported to the otolaryngologist.
- Medication to relieve the throat discomfort should be taken after consulting the doctor.
Hospital Group
Hospital Group
Private Hospital
Private Hospital