Estimates of Practitioners Performing UPP

	Number in United States	Number Performing UPP	Estimated Use of Bipolar Instruments per Year @ 1/Mo.	Estimated Use of Bipolar Instruments per Year @ 1/Week
Otolaryngolists1	7,500	3,700	45,000	195,000
Oral/Maxi Surgeons2	5,542	2,771	33,252	144,092
TOTAL	13,042	6,521	78,252	339,092

1. Statistical Abstract, 2000, Table No. 186 for 1998 (Data from American Medical Association)
2. American Dental Association (as per telephone call 6/20/03)

Attempts to Determine Statistics

The National Center for Health Statistics (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Center for Disease Control and Prevention) ("HCHS") advised that the latest figures it possess for hospital care statistics is for 1996. This is a study of 500 hospitals and covers only procedures occurring in the hospital. Thus, it does not cover ambulatory cases or even cases in day-care surgical units. ICD Code ICD-27.6 "Palatoplasty" showed 19,000 cases. However, the sub code, 27.69 "other palate repair" showed 12,000. The other sub codes, 27.61, 27.62, 27.63 (no codes 27.64 - 27.68) appear to be procedures related to cleft palate repair. ICD code 27.7, entitled "Operations on the Uvula" show no statistics. The spokesperson for the NCHS indicated that no statistics will appear if there are under thirty procedures reported. Thus, the available statistics do not appear definitive or helpful.