Physician at The Christ Hospital First in the Region to Implant New Device Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Fully Implanted Device Represents New Treatment Option for Patients with Moderate to Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Cincinnati (June 1, 2015) – Joseph Hellmann, MD, Otolaryngologist at The Christ Hospital Physicians – Ear, Nose and Throat, is the first in the region to successfully implant an Inspire therapy device in a patient since the device has been approved by the FDA to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Inspire therapy utilizes first-of-its-kind technology—a small, fully implanted system that has been clinically proven to significantly reduce sleep apnea events and significantly improve quality of life measures.

OSA affects an estimated 18 million Americans and occurs when the tongue and other soft tissues relax during sleep and obstruct the airway. This causes recurrent awakening and leads to daytime sleepiness or fatigue and increased risk of heart attack, stroke, weight gain, and high blood pressure.

Inspire therapy senses breathing patterns and delivers mild stimulation to key airway muscles, which keeps the airway open during sleep. Inspire therapy is a promising new treatment option for people that are not receiving consistent benefits from continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). 

“We believe that this therapy represents a major advance in sleep apnea treatment, especially for vulnerable patients who cannot achieve benefit from CPAP,” said Dr. Hellmann. “Untreated moderate-to-severe OSA places patients at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, accidents, and death. Inspire therapy provides us with an effective new treatment to use in a select group of our CPAP intolerant patient population.”

Inspire therapy is a clinically proven solution. Results from the STAR trial, a clinical study conducted at 22 leading medical centers in the United States and Europe, were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. STAR trial results showed that Inspire therapy reduced apnea events by 68% and significantly improved key quality of life measures.

For more information on The Christ Hospital Physicians – Ear, Nose and Throat, visit https://www.thechristhospital.com/services/surgery/areas-of-expertise/ent.
About The Christ Hospital Health Network: The Christ Hospital Health Network is a regional care system comprised of The Christ Hospital and more than 100 outpatient/physician locations in the Greater Cincinnati area.  Our mission is to improve the health of our community and to create patient value by providing exceptional outcomes, affordable care and the finest experiences. Led by the region’s Most Preferred hospital (National Research Corporation), the network is dedicated to transforming care by delivering integrated, individualized healthcare and wellness services through its comprehensive physician network and advanced specialty service. For more than 125 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to all those we serve.