Franciscan Health Lafayette East Performs First Inspire® Therapy Procedure

LAFAYETTE, Indiana - Drs. Paul Wilson and Aaron Duberstein completed the first Inspire procedure at Franciscan Health Lafayette East. Inspire is an FDA-approved obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment option for people who cannot use Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy.

"We are excited to have completed the first Inspire procedure at Franciscan Health Lafayette East," said Paul Wilson, MD, Franciscan Physician Network otolaryngologist – head and neck surgeon. "Inspire represents a significant advancement in treating sleep apnea. It is clinically proven to reduce sleep apnea events, has a high level of patient satisfaction and a high therapy adherence. The Inspire implant provides an additional tool to provide benefit to patients and we are excited to make it available to our community."

Lori Eubank, a volunteer at Franciscan Health Lafayette East in Spiritual Care Services, was the first patient to receive the Inspire procedure. The Lafayette resident had battled sleep apnea for many years and had undergone sleep studies, surgery, and couldn’t find success with a CPAP machine despite multiple trials.

After seeing television commercials for Inspire, she approached her ENT, Dr. Peter Hillsamer and asked if she might be a candidate. After another sleep study/test and a chat with her cardiologist as well as Dr. Wilson, it was determined that Eubank was a candidate. After a successful Inspire procedure, her apnea numbers have been cut in half, while sleeping.

"I love the freedom and flexibility that Inspire offers," said Eubank. "It's a journey. It takes time and some tweaking to find the balance. I've had wonderful help and support from the doctors and Inspire team. I think I can say that Inspire does work."

OSA affects 22 million Americans. When left untreated, OSA can cause vehicle and workplace accidents, worsening mood and memory, stroke, heart attack, and even death. It occurs when the airway collapses during sleep and blocks the flow of oxygen to the brain. The brain senses a lack of oxygen and wakes the body up just long enough to take a breath, then falls back asleep. This cycle repeats throughout the night and causes poor, disruptive sleep.

Treatment for these patients is directed at the underlying cause and can include treatment of underlying anxiety, medical management of nasal and sinus complaints, use of an oral appliance or surgery. Surgeries are directed at opening the part of the upper airway causing collapse and might include throat surgery such as a tonsillectomy, nasal surgery to improve breathing and now the Inspire sleep apnea implant.

Inspire works inside the body with a patient's natural breathing process to treat sleep apnea. Mild stimulation opens the airway during sleep, allowing oxygen to flow naturally. The patient uses a small handheld remote to turn Inspire on before bed and off when they wake up.

The Inspire system is implanted during a short, outpatient procedure. The system is placed under the skin of the neck and chest through two small incisions. Most patients return home the same day and take over-the-counter pain medications to manage pain as needed. 

There are several criteria to determine if a patient is a good candidate for the Inspire implant including BMI, severity of sleep apnea, failure of CPAP, and passing a screening procedure. This screening procedure is called a Drug Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) and evaluates the upper airway to ensure the patient has a pattern of collapse that would be treated by the implant.

The safety and efficacy of Inspire was evaluated during the STAR clinical trial. Five-year STAR trial outcomes show patients using Inspire experience significant reductions in sleep apnea events and significant improvements in quality-of-life measures. There have been over 150 peer-reviewed publications on Inspire. These publications show results consistent with those seen in the STAR trial.

To learn more about Inspire, please visit www.InspireSleep.com. 

To schedule an appointment at Franciscan Physician Network Lafayette Otolaryngology Associates, call 765-477-7436.