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WEBVTT BEN: NEW TONIGHT, NEW HOPE FORTHE 18 MILLION AMERICANS WHOSUFFER FROM OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEPAPNEA.THE CONDITION CAUSES YOU TO GASPFOR AIR IN THE MIDDLE OF THENIGHT.LOCAL DOCTORS ARE OFFERING A NEWSURGICAL OPTION TO PATIENTS.NEWSCENTER 5'S MARIA STEPHANOSINTRODUCES US TO THE FIRSTPERSON IN MASSACHUSETTS TO TRYIT.>> I WAKE UP TURNING THIS WAY,TURNING THAT WAY.MARIA: FOR RAFAEL FELICIANO,GETTING A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEPWOULD BE A DREAM COME TRUE.>> WHOA.THAT WOULD BE THE MOON.I'D BE IN LA LA LANDJUST ONE TO TWO HOURS EACHNIGHT.HE UNDERSTANDS WHY AFTER SEEINGTHE RESULTS FROM HIS SLEEP STUDYAT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER.>> EVERY HOUR, PER HOUR, I WOULDSTOP BREATHING 35 TIMES.MARIA: DOCTORS DIAGNOSED RAFAELWITH A MODERATE TO SEVERE CASEOF OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA.THE MOST COMMON CAUSE -- THEPATIENT'S TONGUE FALLS BACKDURING SLEEP, BLOCKING THEAIRWAY.>> ESSENTIALLY, YOU OBSTRUCT TOTHE POINT WHERE YOUR BRAIN TELLSYOU HEY, YOUR OXYGEN LEVELS AREDROPPING.YOU NEED TO START BREATHINGAGAIN.AND THEN YOU GET A CHOKINGEFFORT AND PEOPLE STARTBREATHING AGAIN.MARIA: DR. RICHARD WEIN IS ANEAR, NOSE AND THROAT SPECIALISTAT TUFTS.HE SAYS MOST PATIENTS STARTUSING A C-PAP MACHINE TO SEND ACONSTANT FLOW OF AIR THROUGH THEAIRWAY TO KEEP IT OPEN.>> IT'S A FANTASTIC TREATMENTOPTION, BUT IT'S NOT AN OPTIONTHAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE.MARIA: AND IT DIDN'T WORK FORRAFAEL.DR. WEIN SUGGESTED A NEWTREATMENT RECENTLY APPROVED BYTHE FDA.>> AND I SAYS, I WANT TO BE YOURFIRST CANDIDATE, SO I DON'T HAVETO BE USING THE STUPID MACHINEALL NIGHT.MARIA: HERE'S HOW IT WORKS.DR. WEIN SURGICALLY IMPLANTS ASMALL DEVICE THAT CAN MONITORRAFAEL'S BREATHING AS HE SLEEPS.BEFORE BED EACH NIGHT, RAFAELWILL TURN ON THE DEVICE WITH AREMOTE.AND AS HE SLEEPS, THE DEVICEWILL DELIVER MILD STIMULATION TOA NERVE THAT CONTROLS THE TONGUEAND OTHER MUSCLES, OPENING HISAIRWAY.>> IT'S MORE OF A SPASM RATHERTHAN A PAIN, AND THAT CAN BEMODIFIED AND TURNED UP OR DOWN,NO DIFFERENT THAN SAY THE VOLUMEON A RADIO.MARIA: IN A CLINICAL TRIAL,PATIENTS EXPERIENCED A 78%REDUCTION IN SLEEP APNEA EVENTSPER HOUR AFTER THREE YEARS.RAFAEL IS CONVINCED WHAT'SWORKED FOR OTHERS WILL WORK FORHIM.>> THIS IS GOING TO GIVE ME MOREENERGY.I'LL BE HYPED UP.MARIA: BUT UNTIL DR. WEINACTIVATES THE DEVICE NEXT MONTH,ALL RAFAEL CAN DO IS DREAM.>> I KNOW I'M GOING TO FEELGREAT.BEN: THAT WAS MARIA STEPHANOSREPORTING.DR. WEIN SAYS HE'S VERY HOPEFULRAFAEL WON'T HAVE TO WAIT LONGTO FEEL WELL-RESTED.MANY PATIENTS REPORT GETTINGMORE SLEEP MADE IT EASIER FOR