West Wake News

Sleeping apart from his wife due to snoring put a strain on Saccoccio's marriage. "It was not so much a health concern as it was a relationship concern," said Saccoccio, 57, from Durham. He tried allergy shots and a specialized oral appliance, but neither helped with his snoring. A sleep study ruled out sleep apnea.

An ENT doctor identified the cause: Saccoccio had a larger-than-average tongue and a long uvula, which touched during sleep causing vibration and snoring.

Saccoccio researched surgical options and found that uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) was common but involved significant risks and recovery time. Instead, he sought less invasive outpatient options and consulted Dr. Commesso at Duke.

Dr. Commesso suggested trimming Saccoccio’s uvula followed by tongue ablation to reduce tissue vibration. Both procedures could be done in-office with local anesthesia. "For snoring patients, we often need to address multiple areas from the nose down to the throat," said Dr. Commesso. "Our goal isn’t necessarily perfection in terms of eliminating snoring altogether -- our goal is to make a meaningful impact on this person’s quality of life."

On December 2, 2024, Dr. Commesso performed the uvula trimming procedure on Saccoccio who initially experienced pain and continued snoring for weeks afterward. Using an app to measure his snoring loudness, he noticed improvement about six weeks later when his score dropped significantly.

Thrilled with the results, Saccoccio moved back into the bedroom with his wife and canceled the planned tongue ablation as it was no longer needed.

Duke offers various surgical options for those dealing with snoring or sleep apnea that may not be available elsewhere. "Not only can we offer a larger variety of treatment options," stated Dr. Commesso, "but we really home in on the decision-making and patient-selection components to get the best outcomes."