What Is Inspire Therapy for Sleep Apnea?

Inspire is an implant approved by the FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration). It treats moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea without a mask. It sends signals to the tongue nerve to keep your airway open, and it is made for people who cannot use CPAP.

Why choose a treatment that works from inside?

CPAP is a mask that blows air to keep your airway open. Some people find CPAP hard to use. For them, Inspire offers a very different way to treat obstructive sleep apnea.

In this kind of sleep apnea, your airway gets blocked again and again while you sleep. With Inspire, you do not wear a mask. A small device inside your body keeps your airway open while you sleep.

How does Inspire work?

Inspire has three parts. A surgeon places them during a minimally invasive surgery, which uses only small cuts. You usually go home the same day.

• Breathing sensor — A thin wire placed between the muscles of your ribs. It tracks how you breathe.
• Stimulation lead — A thin wire attached to the hypoglossal nerve. This is the nerve that moves your tongue.
• Pulse generator — A small device placed under the skin of your upper chest. It is like a pacemaker.

When you are ready for bed, you turn on Inspire with a small remote. The device senses your breathing. With each breath, it sends a mild signal to the tongue nerve. This gently moves your tongue and other airway muscles forward. That keeps your airway open.

Who may be able to get it?

• Moderate to severe sleep apnea — Adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (AHI 15-65). AHI is how many times per hour your breathing stops or gets shallow.
• CPAP did not work — People who cannot use CPAP or do not get help from it
• Weight — BMI of 35 or less (in most cases). BMI is a measure of weight for height.
• Airway shape — People whose airway does not close all the way around, like a ring, at the soft roof of the mouth (the palate)
• Little central apnea — People with little or no central sleep apnea. In central sleep apnea, your brain does not send the signal to breathe.

You need a test called drug-induced sleep endoscopy to find out if Inspire will work for you. It checks the shape of your airway. In this test, a doctor looks at your airway with a small camera while you sleep from medicine.

Many insurance plans cover Inspire for people who qualify. To confirm your plan, please check with our office at (512) 931-1575.

What are the benefits?

• No mask — No mask, no hose, no machine
• Natural — Works with your body's own breathing
• Works well — Studies show it lowers AHI a lot
• Satisfied patients — A high share of patients say they are satisfied with it
• Easy to use — Just click a remote before bed

What happens after surgery?

Most people go home the same day. The device is turned on about one month after surgery. Your sleep doctor will then adjust the settings over several visits to get the best results. A follow-up sleep study checks that the device is working well.