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Abstract

A method of tonsil reduction by thermal ablation using high intensity focused ultrasound energy includes the steps of introducing an ultrasound emitting member in a patient's oral cavity, positioning the ultrasound emitting member adjacent an external surface of one of the patient's tonsils, emitting ultrasound energy from the ultrasound emitting member into the tissue of the one tonsil, focusing the ultrasound energy in the one tonsil, ablating the tissue of the one tonsil with the focused ultrasound energy to form an ablated tissue area in the one tonsil containing unablated tissue of the one tonsil and a plurality of lesions at which the tissue of the one tonsil is ablated, and withdrawing the ultrasound emitting member from the oral cavity. The ablated tissue area is surgically removed or is allowed to remain in the patient's body. The lesions may be absorbed by the patient's body and/or remain as altered tissue such that the tonsil is reduced in size to correspondingly increase the size of the patient's airway and/or is stiffened to resist vibration. The lesions can begin a predetermined distance beneath the external surface of the tonsil such that the mucosa is preserved. The lesions end at a predetermined depth so that muscular tissue is not damaged.

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