Inspire Therapy Treatment for Sleep Apnea
Sleep Better With Inspire Therapy
WHAT IS INSPIRE THERAPY?
Sleep apnea is primarily treated through the use of a Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine. At Vital Care Family Practice, we know that this treatment does not work for every sleep apnea patient. Now, there is an alternative treatment that works from within the body to help patients sleep better—Inspire Therapy.
Like CPAP therapy, Inspire Therapy works to keep the airway open during sleep. The CPAP machine continuously pushes air through a tube into a mask that is fitted onto the patient. The machine keeps the airway open, leading to less sleep interruption and more high-quality sleep. Inspire, on the other hand, is surgically placed and improves a patient’s sleep by internally treating the core causes of sleep apnea.
HOW DOES INSPIRE THERAPY WORK?
This therapy delivers stimulation to the tongue to open the airway passage during sleep. The stimulation device is controlled by a remote. Patients turn the device on before going to sleep and off in the morning. Your Inspire device does not immediately start delivering stimulation as soon as you turn it on at night. First, it gives patients the opportunity to fall asleep. However, you may feel a slight tingling sensation on your tongue as you fall asleep. Inspire therapy is:
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM INSPIRE THERAPY
We recommend this therapy to patients with moderate to severe sleep apnea who seek an alternative treatment to CPAP therapy. This includes patients who dislike CPAP therapy or find that they do not benefit from CPAP therapy. Like other sleep apnea treatments, this method of therapy decreases the risk of serious health conditions associated with the disease, such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and more.
THE INSPIRE PROCEDURE
At VitalCare Family Practice, we put patient comfort first. Your provider will meet with you before surgery to discuss the procedure and answer any questions you have. The surgery takes about two to three hours and is performed under anesthesia. During the procedure, your provider makes one incision to the chest and one to the chin.
Most patients go home on the day of surgery and fully recover in about four to six weeks. During the first two weeks of recovery, follow all instructions from your surgeon, including refraining from strenuous activities and physical exercise.
AFTER YOUR PROCEDURE
Once healed, your doctor will program different levels of stimulation on your device, show you how to use the remote, and make sure you understand all instructions for your nightly therapy. Your provider will require a follow-up sleep study to ensure that your device is programmed with the correct ranges of stimulation for you.
Inspire devices are battery-operated and long-lasting—the initial battery lasts for around eleven years and changing the battery requires a simple outpatient procedure.
READY TO SLEEP BETTER?
If you are struggling to get adequate sleep or have not found success with a CPAP machine, this therapy may be right for you. Call us at (804)-256-8282 or schedule an appointment on our website to get started. We look forward to serving you!
