EDITOR, - Ian Mortimore stated that “operative treatment for snoring by uvulopalatopharyngoplasty … may be associated subsequently with appreciable morbidity and death” as the surgery may prevent the effective use of nasal continuous positive airway pressure in the future.1 We dispute this.

We agree that many simple snorers probably progress over the years to sleep apnoea; there is evidence to support this.2 We do not currently know whether surgical …