Laser cures snoring

A five minute operation at the Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire uses a laser beam to cut an inch-long strip on the palate, to cure snoring permanently. When the scar tissue heals, it stiffens the palate so that it cannot vibrate. A light general anaesthetic is used, and patients can eat normally within a couple of days. 'It's so easy it's ridiculous,' says Dr John Shneerson, director of the hospital's sleep centre. 'But it really seems to work.'