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What is Inspire Therapy?
This FDA approved implantable upper airway stimulation device functions like a pacemaker and stabilizes a patient’s throat during sleep in order to prevent obstruction. The device consists of three components: a programmable neurostimulator located in a chest pocket, a pressure sensing lead that detects patient’s breathing, and a stimulator lead that delivers mild stimulation to the tongue nerve. The stimulator is controlled via the patient’s handheld remote control. “Inspire therapy is the first neurostimulation technology for the treatment of OSA that complements the natural physiology of patients, making it a very effective treatment modality”, says Dr. Weidenbecher, who is one of the most experienced Inspire Therapy surgeons in the United States. Moreover, it is a less painful and invasive procedure than many other sleep surgeries. How is the device implanted?
The implantation is done under general anesthesia using 3 small incisions under the chin, below the collarbone and along the side of the chest below the ribs. About 4 weeks after the implantation, the device will be activated followed by a post-operative sleep study to assure proper stimulation. Implant-related serious complications are very rare and less than 1%. Bruising and tingling along the tongue are usually temporary and resolve within weeks. |
Patients explaining their experience with Inspire
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Effectiveness of Inspire Therapy
In 2014 the results of a large multicenter Inspire Therapy trial, Stimulation Therapy for Apnea (STAR), were published in the New England Journal of Medicine reporting a 68% decrease in the number of times a patient stops breathing per house (also known as an AHI score) with significant improvement in quality of life and daytime functioning as measured by Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Dr. Weidenbecher has published his superior Inspire results most recently showing that 19 out of 20 patients were treated successfully and did not have to use CPAP anymore. 
For more information on Inspire therapy, click here: www.inspiresleep.com
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