ENT Specialists of Austin is pleased to offer a breakthrough option for patients with obstructive sleep apnea: the Inspire implant. Obstructive sleep apnea affects nearly 18 million Americans and the most popular treatment option today is continuous positive airway pressure, or a CPAP machine. Many patients simply cannot tolerate CPAP and some of those patients can be treated with Inspire, a hypoglossal nerve stimulator implant. This implant will move your tongue out of the way to help you breathe while you sleep!
Who is Inspire Sleep Apnea Therapy For?
Inspire is an innovative obstructive sleep apnea treatment option for people unable to use or get consistent benefit from CPAP. The fully implanted system delivers mild stimulation to key airway muscles which keeps the airway open during sleep. Inspire therapy is controlled with a small, handheld remote.
At the push of a button, your sleep apnea is completely controlled without needing the complexity and messiness of CPAP.
An Outpatient Procedure Boasting Big Results
Since introduced in 2014, Inspire therapy has helped thousands of people get restful sleep. The device has 3 components and therefore requires 2 incisions. The procedure is typically performed in an outpatient setting in ~2 hours. The device is activated 1 month after implantation.
This implant provides control of moderate to severe OSA just as effectively as CPAP but without the masks and hoses associated with CPAP. Patient satisfaction is ~94%.
The biggest criteria for the Inspire are:
- Age > 18
- A sleep study demonstrating moderate or severe OSA (AHI 15 - 100 event/hr)
- BMI < 40
Once these criteria are met, patients undergo a brief airway examination (drug-induced sleep endoscopy) to determine if they are candidates for the Inspire.
Please come see us as ENT Specialists of Austin to see if this revolutionary therapy is right for you.