Finding / getting Resmed ASV

Hi all

I've recently had a titration for an ASV, and waiting for the paperwork in the mail, I'm looking at options for getting it. I am uninsured, and I know it's gonna be a killer in cost, so wherever I get it, I'd like somewhere I can trust and get decent service.

I used Apria before with my initial CPAP. They were awful. If I can avoid it, I want to steer clear from them.

A locally owned DME I've found whose benefits listed states "if we don't do it, it's not available" - they don't offer the Resmed ASV unit and referred me to Apria. ::bangs head::

To some degree I want to avoid going online, but if the cost reduction is enough, then I'll be all for it. I notice however that the Resmed unit isn't available on cpap.com's site, but the Respironics is.

Is this thing available online in the US from a reputable dealer online? cpap.com where are you!

Chance,

Every now and then one will come up at cpapauction.com - they sell for between $US 700 to $2,000 depending on if brand new or not.

The last Resmed ASV I saw there went for around &850 (IIRC). & was near new & the Advanced model. 2 years back I bought an as new Bipap Auto SV for $US 2,000 off cpapauction.com

Good luck

DSM

In all honesty, these units tend to break down. I would definetly go thru a DME who will honor the 2 yr warranty. Take advantage of the warranty also. If you think there is a problem with the unit....get it looked at. Make sure you get the Vpap Adapt Sv enhanced.

I have to caution you, the cost through a DME is nothing less than astronomical! Without my insurance, my DME wanted to chart $9,000 for a Resmed VPAP Adapt SV Enhanced unit. You will be much better off if you either use an online vendor and/or CPAPauction.

There are none listed at the moment:

http://www.cpapauction.com/browse/cpap- ... -_sv_.html

Though you will sometimes find them listed under BiLevel units. Though I generally would not recommend using Craigslist for this type of purchase, it might be an option.

If you do use a local DME, you will need to do some serious bargaining with them.

So I've got some prices back from DMEs - doing footwork by calling DME companies one after another is very instructive!

Anyway, the prices I've gotten are generally higher from the chain stores, and lower from the locally owned ones. The prices are from $5000 - $6900 for the machine with no humidifier (you get about a $400 price break from not using the integrated humidifier) and with one outlier company that is much lower than the others - I think I'm going to take this outlier.

I noticed though from earlier posts the different versions of this machine. From all of the information I can gather, the Resmed ASV machine is the exact same from machine to machine, except for different ways of getting the data out and into Resscan (serial port vs. a card). Is this all the difference, how much does it matter in practice using it every day?

chance wrote:So I've got some prices back from DMEs - doing footwork by calling DME companies one after another is very instructive!

Anyway, the prices I've gotten are generally higher from the chain stores, and lower from the locally owned ones. The prices are from $5000 - $6900 for the machine with no humidifier (you get about a $400 price break from not using the integrated humidifier) and with one outlier company that is much lower than the others - I think I'm going to take this outlier.

I noticed though from earlier posts the different versions of this machine. From all of the information I can gather, the Resmed ASV machine is the exact same from machine to machine, except for different ways of getting the data out and into Resscan (serial port vs. a card). Is this all the difference, how much does it matter in practice using it every day?

Chance

There are 2 models of the Vpap Adapt SV

1) The original model (max 20 CMs pressure & no AHI data )

2) The 'Enhanced' model (has the word Enhanced written just to the right of the buttons) goes to 25 CMs max & provides AHI data

Good luck

DSM

There are online sites with seemingly professional sellers that have it new for $2,500, which seems to be the common price. Try dotmed.com Then do research on the internet business rating sites.

There is also a new version of the Respironics ASV that is apparently our now. Newer waveform breath tracking, probably improved algorythyms. Not much info on it yet.

Michael

I picked up the machine today.

Total cost was $3700 with a new mask, additional pressure line and regular hose, filters, etc etc. Definately not the cheapest thing in the world, but almost a 50% reduction in cost to the first estimate.

Now to sleep with the thing. Looking forward to it.

EDIT: For clarity - I got the machine through a local brick-and-mortar DME. It's new, the Enhanced model, which in the end I didn't need to request since the prescription specified the Enhanced model.

Glad you were able to get a reasonable deal. You will find sleeping with an ASV unit "interesting" for a while.

If you have problems with central sleep apnea, then as you fall asleep you probably stop breathing. This is perfectly normal. Most people have some central apneas as they transition to sleep from wakefulness. However, many (most?) people with central apneas severe enough to require treatment probably have this occur more frequently than normal.

Why do I mention this? Well, as you fall asleep, you probably stop breathing. Here's where the "Adaptive Servo-Ventilation (ASV)" part of the machine kicks in. It will sense that you are not breathing as you should. It will then increase the pressure to help regulate your breathing.

Until you become acclimated to that increase in pressure, it will tend to awaken you as you fall asleep. But after several weeks you will learn to "trust" the machine and just continue to fall asleep. Then after many more weeks you will probably (mostly) no longer notice it.

Good luck! Hope you attain greater rest and pleasant dreams!

Congrats!

The other thing to note about the Resmed ASV is - leaks.

I hope you got a good full face mask? Even with that, at the higher pressures and with tge quick pressure changes, the masks tend to leak and flutter.

If you can, pull in your top pressure (PS Max) to something like 16 or 17. As long as that still allows you some room above your CPAP titrated level. And you are not having many events at that level - maybe a handful of hypopneas.

Then, if you need to, look up one of DSMs recent threads, and buy an extra strap for the mask. If you have the Mirage Quattro Full Face, he has a strap listed in his sig.

Have fun! Hang in there, the thing does get to feel normal after a while! Nice machine, should do everything you would ever need for apneas.

Michael

You guys were right, it was an interesting first night.

Once I got used to it doing its cadence thing with my breathing, and tightening down the mask, I slept like a baby.

My doctor titrated me on a non-approved nasal pillows mask. They actually sent specific directives to the DME on how to make this work. I'm fortunate to have found a doctor that is willing, able, and has studied daytime symptoms of sleep enough to talk about them in an informed manner, not simply "go see a psychologist" or "you're lying about your symptoms" as I had received from other doctors before. For those reasons I won't share, at least for now, how sleep affects me or how I'm judging sleep.

I wish I knew more what I'm comfortable with sharing, but I'm struck this morning that often on this site people approach their sleep as if approaching a war.

For me, for now, I'm just thrilled to be on what initially appears to be an incredible uphill trajectory.