Inspire: Who, What, Why & How
Inspire Therapy is a new, FDA-approved outpatient surgery intended for those who just can not tolerate CPAP. It serves as an alternative to CPAP masks, working with the natural breathing process to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA occurs when soft tissue in the airways collapses during sleep, blocking the brain’s oxygen flow and ultimately causing a person to stop breathing temporarily. This alarms the brain and causes the body to awaken just long enough to catch a breath, and then fall right back to sleep. This cycle continues throughout the night, causing poor and disruptive sleep. Left untreated, OSA can take a serious – sometimes fatal – toll on the human body.
While CPAP works wonders for some, others struggle to adjust and their mental and physical health can suffer. Luckily, with the Inspire sleep implant, patients are offered a new opportunity and another chance at a good night’s sleep.
Inspire Purpose
Inspire Therapy is intended for people who experience significant difficulty with CPAP as well as those who have been diagnosed with moderate to severe OSA, more specifically those with an ApneaHypopnea Index between 15 and 65 – this number represents the number of times they stop breathing per hour. It’s also recommended that anyone overweight or under the age of 22 refrain from Inspire Therapy.
Inspire Procedure
The Inspire system is entirely composed of a small battery and two small wires. During an outpatient procedure, licensed Inspire sleep doctors make three small incisions beneath the neck and chest skin to place the system. Most commonly, patients will return home the same day and feel well to resume non-strenuous activities in the days to follow. Over-the-counter pain medication can be used for mild pain management.
Inspire Process
Inspire Therapy works inside the body with a person’s natural breathing process, delivering mild stimulation to key airway muscles and allowing the airway to remain open throughout the night.
The patient is provided a handheld remote to operate the Inspire sleep implant, to turn on before bed and off in the morning. That’s it! Additionally, they can choose to pause therapy for any reason and increase or decrease the settings.
The Inspire procedure proves to serve as an excellent alternative to the CPAP mask, with many clients sharing reports of a significant reduction in snoring and other sleep apnea events. With the Inspire sleep implant, patients are offered an easy, comfortable, less-intrusive treatment method that ultimately paves the way for many restful nights to come.
Lauri Leadley of Valley Sleep Center has had extraordinary success with Inspire Therapy. Click here for more detailed information and register below for our next Inspire Sleep Therapy event with Lauri Leadley!
Struggling with CPAP? Lauri Leadely, founder of Valley Sleep Center, shares her journey!
Wednesday, December 2nd at 5:30 PM
