New device helps fight sleep apnea

When we talk about getting a good night’s sleep, having a condition where you stop breathing is not what comes to mind. But around 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, and that’s exactly what happens.

It can be serious, even fatal.

The gold standard of treatment is a mask that forces continuous oxygen. But not everyone can tolerate it, and the lack of sleep can cause a lack of focus.

It was Robert Keane’s first clue that something was wrong.

The Naples man was distracted and tired but didn’t suspect sleep apnea was the cause. Doctors suggested a sleep study, and the results were eye-opening.

“On a scale of one through 30, you’re 27. So that means you stop breathing 27 times an hour,” said Keane.

“Obstructive sleep apnea is when your throat, you know, your internal structures are collapsing,” said Dr. Michael Medina, ENT-otolaryngologist at the Cleveland Clinic Hospital Weston.

Medina treated Keane. He said this common condition has the potential to do much more than rob patients of sleep.

“Obstructive sleep apnea, it’s like a hidden killer. Your oxygen levels drop down. And because of that, you know, you put your heart and your cardiovascular system at risk,” Medina said.

Keane used a C-pap mask that provided continuous pressure to keep his airway open.

Dr. Medina said up to 50% of people don’t tolerate it.

Keane is one of them; he hated the mask.

“Complete torture,” Keane said. “It was awful… I dreaded going to bed every night.”

Given the importance of treatment, Keane looked for another solution, considering oral appliances and even surgery to remove tissue in the throat.

He ultimately chose to go to the Cleveland Clinic Hospital in Weston to get a tiny device implanted in his chest called the Inspire.

It’s FDA-approved for severe apnea.

“It’s like a pacemaker, but for your breathing,” Medina said.

Placing it requires two small incisions, one to insert it into the chest, the other under the jaw where a lead meets a nerve that controls the tongue.

It’s likened to a pacemaker because it keeps pace with your breathing.

“And when you take a breath, it detects that. And then, it will at that time stimulate the nerve to the tongue to move the tongue gently forward and tense the tongue so the tongue doesn’t fall back,” Medina said.

Keane activates it at bedtime by taping a controller on his chest. A slight tingling in his tongue confirms it’s stimulating the nerve.

“Oh, it’s amazing. It’s great,” Keane said. “I love it. I mean, I’m a different person. It’s totally, totally changed my life.”

Not everyone is a candidate for the implant.

Patients must have obstructive apnea and have failed to use the mask. It’s not meant for people who are severely obese.