Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants

OntarioKevin · Post by **OntarioKevin** » Fri Mar 24, 2017 3:02 am

Found an old thread on this but wondering if anyone has explored further. My sleep doc suggested it today but I'd have to get down to the US to do it.

The fact that the old thread has a lot of committed CPAP users bashing it and no one using it may actually mean that it works and gets one off of CPAP and thus this board itself.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=107561&p=1026096&hi ... n#p1026096

bdz · Post by **bdz** » Fri Mar 24, 2017 3:52 am

I also belong to MyApnea.org. I am copying the response to someone who has it below. Also, the link to the full post. I tested the link...slow.
https://myapnea.org/forum/first-steps-f ... mment-1995

Dr. Thompson tested me and confirmed that I was a good candidate for Inspire. I had my surgery in October of 2014 at Westlake Medical Center in West Lake Hills (Austin suburb). The surgery took about 2 hours in the excellent West Lake facility. It was a walk in the park compared to any other surgery I’ve experienced. I was home by noon and never took a pain pill, not so much as a Tylenol. The only “recovery” was the healing of the 3 small (1-2 inch) scars. I was back at work the following day.

There is a 30-day waiting period for internal healing before the device is actually activated. This is a quick painless procedure done in the doctor’s office to determine the settings for the implanted device, which is a repurposed pacemaker, the kind that has been used by cardiac patients for decades. It worked perfectly for me the first night, but over the next few nights the impulse became too intense, so I made an appointment to have it adjusted. I believe that when the device was initially calibrated, my nerve had not completely healed and became more sensitive over time. In any case, the return appointment resolved the issue; the device was recalibrated to send a weaker impulse, and has worked perfectly since then. I had a follow up sleep test that showed I was sleeping soundly and my oxygen level had increased to a normal range. An added benefit is that my mouth breathing and snoring has stopped.

The effects of the therapy have been dramatic. In addition to resolving my snoring, I have much more energy, don’t feel sleepy all the time and don’t have to worry about the effect on my heart health. My cardiologist has been a strong supporter as well.
But the best part of all has been getting rid of my CPAP machine. I’m thinking of having it retrofitted as a boat anchor.

49er · Post by **49er** » Fri Mar 24, 2017 5:34 am

OntarioKevin wrote:Found an old thread on this but wondering if anyone has explored further. My sleep doc suggested it today but I'd have to get down to the US to do it.

The fact that the old thread has a lot of committed CPAP users bashing it and no one using it may actually mean that it works and gets one off of CPAP and thus this board itself.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=107561&p=1026096&hi ... n#p1026096

I looked into it near the end of 2015 but unfortunately, didn't qualify according to the results of my sleep endoscopy. I had complete concentric collapse which didn't make me a good candidate for the procedure.

Good luck with your efforts.

49er

OntarioKevin · Post by **OntarioKevin** » Fri Mar 24, 2017 8:22 pm

Wow. Thx!

bdz wrote:I also belong to MyApnea.org. I am copying the response to someone who has it below. Also, the link to the full post. I tested the link...slow.
https://myapnea.org/forum/first-steps-f ... mment-1995

Dr. Thompson tested me and confirmed that I was a good candidate for Inspire. I had my surgery in October of 2014 at Westlake Medical Center in West Lake Hills (Austin suburb). The surgery took about 2 hours in the excellent West Lake facility. It was a walk in the park compared to any other surgery I’ve experienced. I was home by noon and never took a pain pill, not so much as a Tylenol. The only “recovery” was the healing of the 3 small (1-2 inch) scars. I was back at work the following day.

There is a 30-day waiting period for internal healing before the device is actually activated. This is a quick painless procedure done in the doctor’s office to determine the settings for the implanted device, which is a repurposed pacemaker, the kind that has been used by cardiac patients for decades. It worked perfectly for me the first night, but over the next few nights the impulse became too intense, so I made an appointment to have it adjusted. I believe that when the device was initially calibrated, my nerve had not completely healed and became more sensitive over time. In any case, the return appointment resolved the issue; the device was recalibrated to send a weaker impulse, and has worked perfectly since then. I had a follow up sleep test that showed I was sleeping soundly and my oxygen level had increased to a normal range. An added benefit is that my mouth breathing and snoring has stopped.

The effects of the therapy have been dramatic. In addition to resolving my snoring, I have much more energy, don’t feel sleepy all the time and don’t have to worry about the effect on my heart health. My cardiologist has been a strong supporter as well.
But the best part of all has been getting rid of my CPAP machine. I’m thinking of having it retrofitted as a boat anchor.

ChicagoGranny · Post by **ChicagoGranny** » Mon Apr 03, 2017 4:24 pm

bdz wrote:I also belong to MyApnea.org. I am copying the response to someone who has it below. Also, the link to the full post. I tested the link...slow.
https://myapnea.org/forum/first-steps-f ... mment-1995

The person who wrote the glowing review of his Inspire device posts as IntuitivePrussianBlueEel1655. For anyone considering the Inspire device, it is very important to note that IntuitivePrussianBlueEel1655 had previously undergone a UPPP.

Now, since the Inspire device only stimulates the nerves that affect the tongue muscles and not the nerves that affect the soft palate, one has to wonder if Inspire would have been effective for IntuitivePrussianBlueEel1655 if he had not had UPPP surgery. That's a very big IF.

IntuitivePrussianBlueEel1655's glowing review should be totally discounted.

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Mon Apr 03, 2017 9:15 pm

Noted.
Thanks, Granny.

49er · Post by **49er** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 4:06 am

ChicagoGranny wrote:
bdz wrote:I also belong to MyApnea.org. I am copying the response to someone who has it below. Also, the link to the full post. I tested the link...slow.
https://myapnea.org/forum/first-steps-f ... mment-1995
The person who wrote the glowing review of his Inspire device posts as IntuitivePrussianBlueEel1655. For anyone considering the Inspire device, it is very important to note that IntuitivePrussianBlueEel1655 had previously undergone a UPPP.

Now, since the Inspire device only stimulates the nerves that affect the tongue muscles and not the nerves that affect the soft palate, one has to wonder if Inspire would have been effective for IntuitivePrussianBlueEel1655 if he had not had UPPP surgery. That's a very big IF.

IntuitivePrussianBlueEel1655's glowing review should be totally discounted.

He wouldn't have had the chance to try the Inspire Therapy because he most likely would have failed the required sleep endoscopy test. That would have eliminated him as a candidate.

ChicagoGranny · Post by **ChicagoGranny** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 7:28 am

49er wrote:He wouldn't have had the chance to try the Inspire Therapy because he most likely would have failed the required sleep endoscopy test. That would have eliminated him as a candidate.

What you have written is unintelligible. An if clause at the beginning of the first sentence might make it intelligible.

49er · Post by **49er** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 7:54 am

ChicagoGranny wrote:
49er wrote:He wouldn't have had the chance to try the Inspire Therapy because he most likely would have failed the required sleep endoscopy test. That would have eliminated him as a candidate.
What you have written is unintelligible. An if clause at the beginning of the first sentence might make it intelligible.

Sorry grammar nazi. I have been diagnosed with cancer so I sort of have more important things on my mind vs. writing the perfect sentence. You know damm right well what I meant and didn't have to write this garbage.

But then again, I should know better than to respond to your posts. I always stupidly think you are capable of changing only to realize how wrong I am.

ChicagoGranny · Post by **ChicagoGranny** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 8:38 am

49er wrote:You know damm right well what I meant

I have no idea what you meant.

49er wrote:He wouldn't have had the chance to try the Inspire Therapy

There are several males posting in this thread and others that are mentioned. If you want your post to be understood, you should specify who "he" is.

49er wrote:wouldn't have had the chance

You don't specify under what conditions he "wouldn't have had the chance".

Your post makes no sense with these two pieces of information missing. Anyone claiming they understand what you are saying is making at least two assumptions.

49er wrote:Sorry grammar nazi.

There is nothing wrong with the grammar. It's the communication gaps.

palerider · Post by **palerider** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 12:39 pm

ChicagoGranny wrote:
49er wrote:Sorry grammar nazi.
There is nothing wrong with the grammar. It's the cognition gaps.

fixed that for you.

MrKDilkington · Post by **MrKDilkington** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 8:57 pm

ChicagoGranny wrote:
bdz wrote:I also belong to MyApnea.org. I am copying the response to someone who has it below. Also, the link to the full post. I tested the link...slow.
https://myapnea.org/forum/first-steps-f ... mment-1995
The person who wrote the glowing review of his Inspire device posts as IntuitivePrussianBlueEel1655. For anyone considering the Inspire device, it is very important to note that IntuitivePrussianBlueEel1655 had previously undergone a UPPP.

Now, since the Inspire device only stimulates the nerves that affect the tongue muscles and not the nerves that affect the soft palate, one has to wonder if Inspire would have been effective for IntuitivePrussianBlueEel1655 if he had not had UPPP surgery. That's a very big IF.

IntuitivePrussianBlueEel1655's glowing review should be totally discounted.

I understand that the unanswerable question you posed discounts it for you personally, but I disagree that it discounts the review totally for everyone. There's probably at least a couple people here that have had UPPP's done and are open to having another surgery that would find this success story beneficial. And those that are just open to having surgery in general might find it helpful as well. It's common for otolaryngologists to perform multiple procedures in different regions at once, so assuming the soft palate is an issue in addition to the tongue, they could do a procedure like lateral pharyngoplasty and install Inspire or Imthera at the same time (I gave that example because I personally think UPPP is outdated and ineffective). With that being said, I do agree that it's important to preface the story with the person's surgical history - it would be misleading to leave that detail out.

ChicagoGranny · Post by **ChicagoGranny** » Wed Apr 05, 2017 5:33 am

MrKDilkington wrote:... I personally think UPPP is outdated and ineffective). With that being said, I do agree that it's important to preface the story with the person's surgical history - it would be misleading to leave that detail out.

It would be misleading to leave that detail out?? It was left out. This did mislead to a response that should trouble any informed person:

OntarioKevin wrote:Wow. Thx!

Now, is Kevin running off to have Inspire implanted with great hopes? Not knowing that the glowing review he relied on was written by a person who previously had a UPPP? We won't know unless Kevin posts again in this thread.

Thanks, Mr. K, for supporting my point. Although, there was no need to start out like you were contradicting me.

MrKDilkington · Post by **MrKDilkington** » Wed Apr 05, 2017 8:44 am

ChicagoGranny wrote:
MrKDilkington wrote:... I personally think UPPP is outdated and ineffective). With that being said, I do agree that it's important to preface the story with the person's surgical history - it would be misleading to leave that detail out.
It would be misleading to leave that detail out?? It was left out. This did mislead to a response that should trouble any informed person:

You're right, my mistake, I misspoke.

Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants

Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants

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Re: Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants

Re: Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants

Re: Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants

Re: Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants

Re: Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants

Re: Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants

Re: Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants

Re: Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants

Re: Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants

Re: Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants

Re: Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants

Re: Inspire Therapy - upper airway stimulation implants