We know your life is full of activities. Between work, family, helping others, and having fun, you need all the energy you can get.
But when you have sleep apnea, you can sometimes wake up feeling more tired than when you went to bed. What’s worse is that you’ve tried all the masks, practices, and positions and nothing seems to work. Well, we have good news. Your dreams of a good night’s sleep — without a machine — can come true! Dr. Sina Joorabchi in Pembroke Pines and Hollywood offers a cutting-edge treatment that’s proven to provide sleep apnea sufferers with relief without the mask or machine. At his clinic — conveniently located in Pembroke Pines, Florida — Dr. Joorabchi has been serving as South Florida’s premier ear, nose, and throat specialist (ENT) for years and has helped hundreds of men and women just like you. Better sleep is possible, and Dr. Joorabchi can help you get it back.
Thanks to recent advances in research and technology, there’s a permanent way to reduce the effects of obstructive sleep apnea without the need for uncomfortable masks or noisy machines called Inspire™.
Inspire™ is a patented, FDA-approved surgically-implanted device that uses mild electrical pulses to open up your airways while you sleep. Before you go to bed, you simply use a remote to turn the device on, and then you sleep just like a normal person. Inspire™ employs a device to monitor your breathing and stimulate your tongue to move out of your airway as you breathe. The Inspire™ device (about the size of a typical pacemaker) is implanted in your chest, and a lead is implanted in the muscles of your tongue, along with a second sensor that can tell when you inhale.
Working together, the device detects when you breathe in and responds by sending a gentle electrical signal that stimulates your tongue muscle, moving it out of the way of the airflow. In clinical studies, medical trials, and patient experience, Inspire™ has been shown to reduce sleep apnea events by about 80%. And 90% of sleep partners reported either soft or no snoring when the device is used. That’s amazing!
With the Inspire™ system, you don’t have to think about it. There’s no mask to wear or keep clean, and not wearing a mask or being tethered by a hose means you can sleep in any position. Even more, there’s no machine pumping air and humming all night, so your partner will be able to sleep better as well.
No machine means you can travel with ease because all you have to pack is a little, computer mouse-sized remote instead of a heavy, bulky machine. Finally, the Inspire™ device is FDA-approved so its cost is often covered by many insurance plans, including Medicare. With just the replacement of two AAA batteries in the remote, maintenance will always be cheap and easy.
Could This Sleep Apnea Surgery Be Right For Me?
When you come in for a consultation with Dr. Joorabchi, he’ll be able to help you determine if Inspire™ is right for you. If any of these conditions apply to you, you may be a good candidate:
As always, we recommend you talk to your primary physician as well and get their opinion. There are always risks associated with any surgery, so it’s good to have multiple takes on the situation so any issues can be properly addressed and you can have peace of mind.
Implanting the Inspire™ device does require surgery, but it can be done in one session at Dr. Joorabchi’s clinic.
You will, however, be put under general anesthesia, so you’ll need to make sure you plan for someone to give you a ride home and help you out for the first 12-24 hours at least. To begin, Dr. Joorabchi and his team will give you the proper sedation to relax you and put you to sleep. The surgery typically involves three incisions: one under your chin, one up near your collarbone, and another in your chest near your ribs.
That’s where he’ll implant the stimulator, the pulse generator, and the breathing sensor respectively. Once all three components are implanted and connected, Dr. Joorabchi will close the incisions with either stitches or skin adhesive and dress and bandage them properly. Once the surgery is complete — it usually takes two hours — you’ll be gently awoken and given some time to get your bearings. Your friend or family member will drive you home and it is recommended that you rest for the remainder of the day. Dr. Joorabchi will inform you on how to best care for your stitches and make sure you recover well. It’s vital for you to adhere to your post-procedure instructions.
You can expect there to be some swelling and soreness at the incision sites, but it shouldn’t be anything too extreme. Over-the-counter pain medication can usually manage the discomfort, but Dr. Joorabchi will give you a prescription for stronger medicines if needed.
He also may recommend you take an antibiotic to reduce the risk of infection. Some patients have reported mild bruising or tingling in their tongue after the procedure, but that usually resolves itself in about a week. After about four weeks of healing, it will be time to activate the Inspire™ system. You’ll go to a follow-up appointment with Dr. Joorabchi and he’ll make sure you’re healing well and turn the system on. That night, you’ll use the Inspire™ remote to activate the system before you go to bed.
Pembroke Pines sleep apnea surgery patients should start seeing results immediately after the Inspire™ system is activated. In clinical trials, patients reported an almost 80% reduction in sleep apnea events thanks to this treatment.
That meant they were sleeping better at night, and feeling a lot better during the day. And in the vast majority of cases, the results persisted even after a follow-up visit a year later. During the first month that you’re using the Inspire™ treatment, Dr. Joorabchi may recommend that you adjust the intensity each night. This is helpful as your body acclimates to the system and can also help you find the setting that works best for you. Remember, it’s all about you and what you need to get the sleep you deserve.
Give us a call at (954) 438-7171 today, and we’ll get you in for a consultation on the Inspire™ system with Pembroke Pines ENT specialist Dr. Joorabchi as soon as possible. Or if you’d rather, you can fill out the easy form at the bottom of this page and we’ll talk to you soon!.
If you suffer from persistent congestion or sinus pain, every day feels like a struggle. But there is a way to stop the headaches, the runny noses, and the sleepless nights. Schedule your consultation at South Florida ENT Associates today to get relief from your ENT issues and start breathing freely again.
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