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What to Know About Uvula Removal Surgery

What is the uvula?

The uvula is the teardrop-shaped piece of soft tissue that hangs down the back of your throat. It’s made from connective tissue, saliva-producing glands, and some muscle tissue.

When you eat, your soft palate and uvula prevent foods and liquids from going up your nose. Your soft palate is the smoother, muscular part of the roof of your mouth.

Some people need to have their uvula, and sometimes part of their soft palate, removed. Read on to learn more about why and how this is done.

Why might it have to be removed?

Uvula removal is done with a procedure called an uvulectomy. This removes all or part of the uvula. It’s usually done to treat snoring or some of the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

When you sleep, your uvula vibrates. If you have an especially large or long uvula, it can vibrate enough to make you snore. In other cases, it can flap over your airway and block the airflow into your lungs, causing OSA. Removing the uvula can help prevent snoring. It may help symptoms of OSA.

Your doctor might recommend an uvulectomy if you have a large uvula that interferes with your sleep or breathing.

More often, the uvula is partially removed as part of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). This is the main surgery used to shrink the palate and clear the blockage in OSA. UPPP removes excess tissue from the soft palate and pharynx. Your doctor may also remove the tonsils, adenoids, and all or part of the uvula during this procedure.

In some African and Middle Eastern countries, uvulectomy is performed much more often as a ritual in babies. It’s done to try to prevent or treat conditions ranging from throat infections to coughs. However, there’s no evidence it works for these purposes. It can also cause serious risksTrusted Source, like bleeding and infections.

Do I need to prepare for uvula removal?

A week or two before your procedure, let your doctor know about any medications you’re taking, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements. They might ask you to stop taking certain things a week or so before your surgery.

If you’re having UPPP done, your doctor might also ask you to not eat or drink anything after midnight on the night before your surgery.

Does uvula removal have any side effects?

Following the procedure, you might notice some swelling and rough edges around the surgical area for a few days. A white scab will form over the place where your uvula was removed. It should disappear in a week or two.

Some people get a bad taste in their mouth, but this should also go away as you heal.

For some, removing the whole uvula can cause:

difficulty swallowing

throat dryness

feeling like there’s a lump in your throat

This is why doctors try to only remove part of the uvula whenever possible.

Other possible risks of the procedure include:

heavy bleeding

infection

Call your doctor right away if you have any of these more serious symptoms after your procedure:

a fever of 101°F (38°C) or higher

bleeding that doesn’t stop

throat swelling that makes it hard to breathe

fever and chills

severe pain that doesn’t respond to pain medication.

Uvula removal may be an option if you snore because of a very large uvula, or you have OSA that’s mainly caused by an enlarged uvula. Your doctor might also remove parts of your soft palate at the same time. The procedure only takes a few minutes, and recovery is fairly quick.

(07/21/2021)
by Healthline

More Information: https://www.healthline.com/health/uvula-removal#:~:text=Uvula%20removal%20is%20done%20with,you%20sleep%2C%20your%20uvula%20vibrates.

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