the little Ohio boy's airway kept collapsing, causing his breathing to stop and often his heart, too.
Doctors in Michigan had been researching artificial airway splints but had never implanted one in a patient.
In a single day, they ‘printed out’ 100 tiny tubes, using computer-guided lasers to stack and fuse thin layers of plastic instead of paper and ink to form various shapes and sizes.
The next day, with special permission from the Food and Drug Administration, they implanted one of these tubes in Kaiba, the first time it had been done.
Suddenly, a baby that doctors had said would probably not leave the hospital alive could breathe normally for the first time.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... z2U7Ogf0DO
New Technology: First Implanted Airway Splint
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New Technology: First Implanted Airway Splint
I wonder if this would cure obstructive sleep apnea in adults and children?
Sheffey
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Stormynights
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Re: New Technology: First Implanted Airway Splint
Amazing story. Thanks for good news today.
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quietmorning
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ChicagoGranny
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Re: New Technology: First Implanted Airway Splint
That is a great story. Love seeing the smiles on the boy's face.
Still, it begs the question whether some inventive soul could use this technology to develop a splint for OSA.
The boy had an an incompletely formed bronchus. The problem with typical OSA is further up in the airway where the tongue and the soft palate block the airway.I wonder if this would cure obstructive sleep apnea in adults and children?
Still, it begs the question whether some inventive soul could use this technology to develop a splint for OSA.
"It's not the number of breaths we take, it's the number of moments that take our breath away."
Cuando cuentes cuentos, cuenta cuántas cuentos cuentas.
Cuando cuentes cuentos, cuenta cuántas cuentos cuentas.
Re: New Technology: First Implanted Airway Splint
Thanks for sharing!
I have heard and read about the Pillar procedure where doctors use "splints" implanted in the soft palate to make it more rigid and less prone to falling back. But its more appropriate for mild to moderate sleep apnea.
Maybe something like this technology can further that concept and treat severe OSA.
Again thanks for sharing!
I have heard and read about the Pillar procedure where doctors use "splints" implanted in the soft palate to make it more rigid and less prone to falling back. But its more appropriate for mild to moderate sleep apnea.
Maybe something like this technology can further that concept and treat severe OSA.
Again thanks for sharing!
Re: New Technology: First Implanted Airway Splint
Very interesting and may offer some hope for better apnea treatment in the future.
However, it sounds to me like it was an "open up the chest" type of surgery to implant it.
The Pillar procedure was for the soft palate, and I think many apneacs have problems in areas other than the soft palate.
Sprints are a little tougher for apnea than blood vessels, because the parts of the throat you're trying to splint have "valves" that need to open and close to make air, food, or water go to the right choice of lungs, stomach, nose, etc. You need a "splint" that keeps the airway open when needed, but can still be closed when you need to swallow or whatever.
However, it sounds to me like it was an "open up the chest" type of surgery to implant it.
The Pillar procedure was for the soft palate, and I think many apneacs have problems in areas other than the soft palate.
Sprints are a little tougher for apnea than blood vessels, because the parts of the throat you're trying to splint have "valves" that need to open and close to make air, food, or water go to the right choice of lungs, stomach, nose, etc. You need a "splint" that keeps the airway open when needed, but can still be closed when you need to swallow or whatever.
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ChicagoGranny
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Re: New Technology: First Implanted Airway Splint
The boy had an an incompletely formed bronchus. Here are photos illustrating his procedure.
"It's not the number of breaths we take, it's the number of moments that take our breath away."
Cuando cuentes cuentos, cuenta cuántas cuentos cuentas.
Cuando cuentes cuentos, cuenta cuántas cuentos cuentas.
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chunkyfrog
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Re: New Technology: First Implanted Airway Splint
With an implant that scale, the poor child had to be split open like a baked potato.
Plenty of gnarly scars to show off in junior high. Happy for the parents, docs,
and their "publisher".
Plenty of gnarly scars to show off in junior high. Happy for the parents, docs,
and their "publisher".
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