New implant to ease the symptoms of Sleep Apnoea

Last updated on July 7th, 2023 at 10:31 am

Have you have recently confirmed your diagnosis of OSA by conducting a sleep study? Then you might have heard about the recent research of a new implant, that could potentially ease the symptoms of OSA.

Patients with sleep studies confirming severe OSA, might have to resort to Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation if CPAP therapy doesn’t work for them.

Researchers have developed a new implant pacemaker device. The pacemaker contains a tiny generator and a sensing lead. Instead of supplying electrical pulses to control the abnormal heart rate, it will use two wires to stimulate the tongue to help reduce apneas from occurring.

The new chest device called Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation (HGNS) offers promise for patients with moderate to severe OSA. The recommended form of treatment for sleep apnoea is CPAP, however an alternative for extreme sufferers might be HGNS.

What does Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation involve?

Patients who have HGNS are given a remote control in which they must turn on the device before going to sleep, and turn it off again upon awakening. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania in the US, state that the delay period on the device allows the user to fall asleep before the pulse generator begins stimulation.

The device detects the users breathing pattern, and stimulates the hypoglossal nerve accordingly. The hypoglossal nerve once stimulated will enlarge the upper airway.

What were the results from the recent HGNS study?

Research has been carried out on 20 patients between January 2015 and March 2016. All patients had information from a baseline polysomnography prior to the implant. All patients had to conduct a post polysomnography approximately two months after HGNS was carried out. This was to assess whether the implant improved their symptoms of OSA, after treatment.

The patients were typically overweight, middle-aged (typical symptoms of an OSA sufferer), and had severe OSA.

According to the Total Apnea-Hypopnea Index, the results suggest that there was an average reduction of 34 apneas per hour after the device was planted. This corresponds to an average reduction of 84%. The total apnoea/hypopnea index measures the severity of the OSA by counting the number of breathing pauses per hour,

The lowest oxygen level measured in the blood during the night significantly increased by 11%- from 79% to 90%.

Richard Schwab from the University of Pennsyvania said “Considering that sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and other serious health problems, it is critically important that we study devices that may serve as another option instead of CPAP to treat patients with sleep apnea.”

“There is no perfect treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea, but our preliminary data suggest that hypoglossal nerve stimulation can effectively treat patients with sleep apnea who are unable to tolerate CPAP,” said Schwab.

CPAP therapy is still the most recommended option for treating OSA. Here’s why!

CPAP therapy is still the most recommended form of treatment for OSA sufferers.
CPAP therapy is still the most recommended form of treatment for OSA sufferers.

Although HGNS treatment has had successful results on the 20 patients tested, it is something that should only be considered if you have tried CPAP therapy and cannot tolerate it. The patients involved in the research are extreme sufferers of OSA. Patients involved in the research carried out were overweight, middle aged, who had tried CPAP but had little success.

If you have had a sleep study confirming your diagnosis of OSA, then you should consider CPAP treatment first. CPAP is the widely recommended option by most leading healthcare specialists. It is widely popular due to it being so successful at treating OSA symptoms. If you would like to find out more about a full range of CPAP machines available, you can click here.

If you have been having difficulty adjusting to your CPAP therapy, it might be because of incorrect use. The air might not be reaching you effectively, possibly due to the mask fit or mask style. OSA sufferers who are unsure of their breathing style, are advised to opt for a full face mask. Full face masks provide optimum coverage.

To find out more about the different mask styles available, click here.

If you are having difficulty using your CPAP equipment, you can contact us directly. We will be happy to discuss any issues or concerns you are having. Most issues experienced with CPAP therapy, can usually be resolved quickly. Get in touch with us as soon as possible so that you can resume with the treatment you need.