Snoring not only affects the quality of your sleep, but it can also lead to long-term health problems, so if you snore a lot, see a doctor to see if you have obstructive sleep apnea.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – For people who struggle with lack of sleep, the University of New Mexico School of Health System Sciences is offering a new way to treat sleep apnea.
High blood pressure, heart and lung problems are just some of the effects of sleep apnea, which makes it difficult to breathe while you sleep.
“Many people have been familiar with a machine called CPAP for many years. It’s a positive pressure machine, a non-surgical treatment, but some people can’t use it for one reason or another,” said Dr. Noah Syme, a head and neck surgeon at the University of New Mexico.
A big problem with current treatments is that most people who sleep with them in find them extremely uncomfortable, and Dr Syme hopes to change this with his new “Inspire Therapy” device.
“It’s all self-contained and portable. The batteries will eventually need to be replaced, but they have a 10-year battery life,” Dr Syme said.
After eight years of waiting, Dr. Syme performed the first two surgeries at UNMH in June, making two incisions, one under the jaw and one in the chest, then slipping a pacemaker-like device into place and attaching charging wires.
“The wire is placed around the nerves in your neck – the nerves that control your tongue – to help push your tongue out. One of the things that happens with sleep apnea is that your tongue falls to the back of your throat and blocks your upper airway,” Dr Syme said.
The treatment was first introduced in New Mexico two years ago but access was very limited due to insurance restrictions, but it will soon become available to more people.
“For me, the reason I’m in academia is so I can treat everyone, regardless of their insurance status,” Dr. Syme said.
Potential patients must meet certain requirements, such as being diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea, which is determined by a sleep study, meeting a certain weight-to-height ratio, or BMI, and finally, having already tried CPAP treatment and failed.
“This is important to me because not only is it something new and eye-catching, but it’s something I think people will respond really well to,” Dr Syme said.
Dr Syme said the first patient was recovering well and the device was expected to be operational on July 26, a month after the operation.
