BECKLEY, W.Va. — Dr. David Blaine and Dr. Justin Douglas, Otolaryngologists at the Beckley ARH Hospital Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic, recently performed the hospital’s first two Inspire Therapy procedures, used to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

The condition, which affects approximately 30 million people in the United States, occurs when a person’s tongue and throat structures collapse during sleep, blocking their airway.

Though OSA is typically treated through the usage of a CPAP device, which forces positive pressure through a patient’s airway to clear the breathing passage, Douglas and Blaine said many people are unable to use them.

“Inspire helps those individuals,” Blaine said.

Douglas explained how the approximately 90-minute outpatient surgical procedure works.

“It’s two small incisions, one at the jawline and another just below the collarbone,” he said. “We place an electrode around the nerve that controls the tongue and run the wire down to the driver or battery that’s in the chest.”

The device, which patients turn on and off with a remote, has a lead which senses when a patient is breathing in.

“When you breathe in, that’s usually the biggest problem because the tongue and palette and everything falls back and blocks the airway,” Douglas continued. “So, when it senses you breathing in, it sends a signal back up to that nerve and projects the tongue forward. That basically alleviates that obstruction.

“So, essentially, it keeps your tongue from obstructing your airway at all times, providing the same dynamic relief you would get from CPAP.”

Blaine and Douglas, who are working side-by-side during the procedures, said they are hopeful about what Inspire could mean for patients who struggle to treat their OSA.

“We know those people are at an increased risk of stroke, heart attack, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and more, so this could really be a gamechanger for them,” Blaine said.

“For all those patients who might feel ignored because they couldn’t wear a CPAP, this will be revolutionary,” Douglas added.

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Beckley ARH Hospital is the first facility within the ARH system and one of only three hospitals in West Virginia to offer the Inspire Therapy procedure.

“Innovation is a core value of ARH,” said Beckley ARH Hospital CEO Todd Howell. “We are proud to offer Inspire Therapy treatment as part of our commitment to providing cutting edge healthcare solutions to the residents of southern West Virginia.”

In order to qualify as a candidate for the Inspire Therapy procedure, patients with a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea must be 18 or older, with a BMI less than 40. Patients are also required to have undergone a diagnostic sleep study within the past two years and to have tried and failed to use a CPAP.

Prior to the procedure, patients will also undergo a diagnostic sleep induced endoscopy for a closer evaluation of their upper airways.

“It’s not for everyone,” Douglas said. “If you use a CPAP and it’s working for you, keep using it. But if it doesn’t work for you, you might be a candidate.”

Though the American Medical Association reports 30 million Americans suffer from OSA, only 6 million of those have been diagnosed.

And though the only official way to diagnose sleep apnea is through a diagnostic sleep study, Blaine and Douglas say there are often signs of the condition.

“If someone snores and has daytime fatigue, they should consider talking to their provider,” Blaine said. “Snoring by itself doesn’t necessarily mean someone has sleep apnea, but just about everyone who has sleep apnea snores. So, thinking about it that way can be a useful home screening tool for someone who wonders if they might be a good candidate for a sleep study.”

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Those interested in learning more about Inspire Therapy should contact their physician or the provider who prescribed their CPAP, as they can help determine next steps.