New treatment for sleep apnea sufferers has 90% satisfaction rate
For people with sleep apnea who have trouble using a continuous positive airway pressure machine, there is hope for a good night's sleep.
There is a new sleep apnea treatment available, but it does involve surgery and it's not for everyone.
Don Parsons suffered from the exhausting effects of sleep apnea for 25 years.
"I'd come home at night. I'd get home at 5:30, 6 p.m., and I would take a nap before dinner, just trying to catch up on those lost hours of sleep," Parsons said.
Parsons tried dental devices and various CPAP machines, but like half of sleep apnea sufferers, he just couldn't tolerate them. Then, he read about an implantable treatment called "Inspire" and he went to see Dr. Sunny Haft, an otolaryngologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
"The basic way it works is that it stimulates the back of the tongue to come forward," Haft said. "Most people that have sleep apnea, it's because their tongue falls back in their throat and it obstructs air from getting in, and that's why it's called obstructive sleep apnea."
Haft said the "Inspire" surgery is straightforward.
"They get an incision," Haft said while pointing underneath his jaw. "The stimulator goes on the nerve to the tongue."
Haft also places an Oreo-cookie-sized device in the patient's chest that is activated by using a computer mouse-like mechanism.
"It will, in the middle of the night, when I go into apnea, push my tongue forward, be sending a pulse ... that will move my tongue forward," Parsons said.
Parsons said the pulse doesn't hurt and it doesn't wake him up.
This all sounds great, so what's the catch?
Well, there is strict criteria for who is eligible for "Inspire," including:
- The patient must not be able to tolerate a CPAP machine, which is still the gold-standard treatment.
- The patient must have moderate to severe sleep apnea.
- The patient must have a body mass index of under 35.
- The patient must not have central sleep apnea, which is a brain issue, not a tongue issue.
The patient must also coordinate with a pulmonary doctor, so it is a bit of a process. And, there is more time involved than just an hour or so of surgery.
"You have a month to heal up before we even turn it on," Haft said. "Then, you come back into the office and have it activated, and we activate at a very low level."
Haft said the "Inspire" treatment requires additional follow-up visits and sleep studies to determine the appropriate level of stimulation for the tongue as there are 10 different levels.
"There are many levels. We go up week by week, and eventually, the patients figure out where they're sleeping best, and that might be at like a level seven," Haft said.
Haft said the "Inspire" device has a 90% satisfaction rate, which may not be considered surprising according to Parsons, who is now retired and has plenty of energy to play with his grandchildren.
"I haven't had anywhere near the need to take naps. I feel refreshed in the morning when I wake up. It's been amazing," Parsons said.
"Inspire" is covered by most major insurance companies, but, of course, the out-of-pocket cost depends on the plan.
