Approximately 18 million Americans experience obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder that can cause serious problems such as excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue, memory loss and lack of concentration. This also increases patients’ risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
While continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the preferred treatment method, not everybody can tolerate this. Individuals looking for an alternative treatment for their sleep apnea might find relief from sleep surgery. Inspire therapy is one option.
What Is Inspire?
Inspire is an implantable device, like a pacemaker, that monitors your breathing patterns while you sleep. It delivers mild stimulation to the nerve that controls movement of the tongue and airway muscles, keeping the airway open and preventing OSA.
The device contains three parts: a small generator, a breathing sensor lead and a stimulation lead. Stimulation is typically painless, and patients can control the device using a small, handheld remote. This remote turns the Inspire on before bed and off in the morning. Additionally, the patient can pause therapy at night if desired and use their remote to increase or decrease therapy settings.
Additional facts:
- FDA-approved since 2014
- Outpatient surgery with same-day treatment
- No face mask, no hose, no CPAP
How Is Inspire Used?
The Inspire device is implanted during an outpatient surgical procedure using general anesthesia. It is placed beneath the skin of the neck and chest via two small incisions. Most patients recover fully from surgery within a couple of weeks.
Inspire has also highlighted the following post-surgery results as part of two separate long-term studies:
- 90% of bed partners report no snoring or soft snoring, in addition to 79% reduction in sleep apnea events.
- 91% satisfaction rate with Inspire, with 94% of Inspire patients say Inspire is better than CPAP.
Who Can Use Inspire?
Candidates for Inspire must have been diagnosed with moderate to severe OSA and are unable to benefit from CPAP therapy. They must not be significantly overweight.
Call Carolina Ear Nose & Throat – Sinus and Allergy Center at (828) 322-2183 for more information or to schedule an appointment.