Inspire Sleep Apnea Implant is a medical device that is implanted in the body to treat snoring syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
Obstructive sleep apnea is a disease caused by recurrent episodes of sleep apnea. This is a condition in which breathing stops for more than 10 seconds, during which oxygenation in the blood decreases by more than 4%.
OCA syndrome occurs during sleep, when the muscles of the upper respiratory tract relax, causing airway obstruction. This leads to a deterioration of blood oxygenation and provokes short unconscious awakenings throughout the night. Unhealthy sleep pattern creates stress for the body, causing high blood pressure and the development of serious diseases. Diseases caused by OSA can be physical, such as hypertension, myocardial infarction and stroke. They can also be mental, including depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, memory loss and concentration.
A sleep study or polysomnography is required before any treatment. Polysomnography calculates the apnea index, which is the frequency of apnea episodes during one hour of sleep and determines the severity of the disease. The apnea index is considered significant if there are more than 20 episodes of apnea per hour, regardless of the presence or absence of clinical symptoms.
The gold standard for treating OSA syndrome is CPAP therapy. However, CPAP therapy is not for everyone, as many people find it uncomfortable to sleep with a mask on their face, and the machine itself can be loud, especially since it is usually located next to your head. Only 25% of patients can use CPAP therapy for a long period of time.
Therefore, recently Inspire Medical Systems Inc. developed a very effective solution with the implant Inspire Sleep Apnea Implant.
How does implanted apnea work
Inspire Sleep Apnea Implant is a battery-powered device that helps electrostimulate the hypoglossal nerve. Battery life is about 10 years.
The main unit of this device is placed under the skin, on the front right side of the chest, and it controls the respiration phase. The other electrode is implanted to stimulate the hypoglossal nerve, which creates muscle tension. This opens the upper airways and allows the tongue to stick out and helps keep the airways open during sleep.
In addition to the two electrodes, this device also includes a convenient small remote switch that actually turns the device on before it goes to sleep and turns it off after waking up. This disables the electrodes from disturbing the communication and feeding processes during the active phase of the day, when a person needs physiological narrowing of the larynx and speech movements for these processes.
The patient may feel light involuntary contractions of the larynx or movement of the tongue during the initial use of the device. These movements do not cause pain, but only a slight discomfort. These inappropriate effects disappear after the first few uses of the device.
As a rule, the implant should be checked 1 or 2 times a year. However, depending on the situation, a doctor who has been treated with Inspire may consult with patients more often or more often.
Inspire Sleep Apnea Implant is only suitable for:
- Patients who are over 22 years old.
- Patients who have been diagnosed with mild or severe obstructive sleep apnea.
- Patients with an apnea index ranging from 20 to 65.
- Patients who do not like using CPAP, or do not have the desired effect.
- Patients with a body mass index of less than 32.
A person weighing 80 kg and a height of 170 cm
BMI = 80 kg / (1.7 m 2) = 80 / 2.89 = 27.68 kg / m2
An Inspire Sleep Apnea Implant can potentially replace CPAP therapy as the gold standard. treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. A study by Dr. Ryan J. et al. Found that snoring after implantation of an implant of Inspire Sleep Apnea Implant is highly regulated. The percentage of no or mild snoring changed from 22% at the beginning of treatment to 88% at 12 months and 91% at 24 months after treatment. In addition, the apnea index decreased from 31 to 14. 82% of patients in the study reported overnight use of this therapy for five years. Therefore, it is obvious that this method is very effective and easy to use!
There was another interesting study by Dr. Patrick J. From the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The study showed that stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve at the base of the tongue reduced the severity of obstructive sleep apnea by 68% and reduced the number of sleep apnea episodes from 29 to 9. Blood oxygen saturation also improved; daytime sleepiness, and the patient's quality of life improved overall.
Inhale the cost of sleep apnea
Inspire Sleep Apnea Implant costs approx. $ 15,000-25,000, not including operating expenses. In addition, the battery cannot be replaced after it is exhausted, and a new implant must be implanted. The implant may also leave the place over time. For comparison, a CPAP device costs approx. From $ 1,500 to $ 3,000, which is much cheaper.
Inspire the side effects of sleep apnea
Implanting Inspire Sleep Apnea Implant is a surgical procedure with possible complications, as with any medical procedure. There are risks of infection after surgery, temporary loosening of the tongue, postoperative bleeding, pain or discomfort in the area of the implant.
People with the following problems are not qualified candidates for this device:
- Patients suffering from central apnea or mixed apnea with more than 25% of the total apnea.
- Patients who have any anatomical problems that would jeopardize the effectiveness of stimulation of the upper respiratory tract, for example, the presence of a complete concentric collapse of the soft palate.
- Patients with any existing condition or procedure that compromised neurological control of the upper respiratory tract.
- Patients who cannot or cannot control the sleep remote control.
- Patients who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
- Patients with an implantable device that may be exposed to unintended interaction with the Inspire system are allergic reactions or responses to implanted materials.
Talk to your doctor if this is a treatment that you would like to explore further.
