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For people with untreated obstructive sleep apnea, getting a good night’s sleep is easier said than done. Having one’s airway become blocked multiple times a night is not only disruptive in the immediate term—causing restless nights, daytime sleepiness, morning headaches and more—but has also been linked to a greater risk of other health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) masks are often the first line of treatment for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, but 25% to 50% of patients do not tolerate CPAP treatment well, says Dr. Tarek Abdallah of the Ochsner Baton Rouge Sleep Center. “Some patients are claustrophobic,” Dr. Abdallah says. “Some cannot continue to wear the mask due to discomfort, and some need higher pressure than the CPAP provides.”
An alternative treatment geared toward those patients is now available at Ochsner Baton Rouge. The Inspire implantable device uses upper airway stimulation to keep the airway open, promoting continuous breathing throughout the night. About the size of a pacemaker, the FDA-approved Inspire device is inserted under the skin of the chest by an Ochsner ENT surgeon during an outpatient procedure. “Using sensors, the system delivers an electrical stimulus to the tongue, forcing it to be in a position that can keep the upper airway open,” Dr. Abdallah says.
