Upper Airway Stimulation (Inspire Therapy)

For people with obstructive sleep apnea who cannot tolerate CPAP, upper airway stimulation therapy offers an innovative alternative and helps you sleep better.

For people with obstructive sleep apnea who cannot tolerate CPAP, upper airway stimulation therapy offers an innovative alternative and helps you sleep better.

For people with obstructive sleep apnea who cannot tolerate continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), Inspire (upper airway stimulation therapy) may offer an innovative alternative.

Inspire is a surgically-implanted system that monitors your unique breathing patterns and provides just enough stimulation to contract the throat muscles to keep your airway open.

Sleep surgeons at Rush have the expertise to pinpoint the cause of your obstructive sleep apnea and determine the optimal treatment for you, whether it's CPAP, Inspire or another procedure. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with our team. We also welcome patients seeking second opinions and encourage you to get a second opinion before you begin any type of treatment.

Learn more about sleep surgery options at Rush.

How Does Inspire Therapy Work?

  • A sleep surgeon implants a small stimulator attached to two flexible leads under the skin in your right upper chest. One of the leads continuously monitors your breathing, while the other lead delivers mild stimulation to key airway muscles to keep your airway open.
  • The procedure is done under general anesthesia.
  • Most patients go home the next day after their surgery.
  • The system is controlled by a small remote device, which you turn on before you go to sleep and turn off when you awaken.
  • Your sleep doctor can adjust the level of stimulation needed to keep your airway open.

Inspire illustration

Benefits of Inspire Therapy

Benefits of upper airway stimulation therapy include the following:

  • Significant reduction in airway obstruction
  • Improved daytime concentration and functioning
  • Better quality of life
  • A dramatic decrease in snoring

Is Inspire Therapy Right for Me?

You may be a candidate for upper airway stimulation therapy if the following statements are true:

  • You are at least 18 years old
  • You have a body mass index (BMI) of less than 35
  • You have been diagnosed with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea
  • You have struggled with or not benefitted from CPAP therapy
  • You do not have medical conditions that would make any surgery risky

Rush offers a specialized diagnostic test called DISE-PAP (drug induced sleep endoscopy during positive airway pressure application). It can determine precisely why CPAP isn’t working and whether Inspire or another procedure is the right fit for you.

Rush Excellence in Inspire Therapy

  • Experience you can trust: Sleep specialists at Rush have expertise diagnosing and treating a full range of conditions that cause both central and obstructive sleep apnea — from the common to the most complex. They will work together, and with you, to address the problem and improve your sleep.
  • Leaders in the use of Inspire: Sleep surgery specialists at Rush were among the first in the U.S. to offer Inspire and continue to be leaders in the use of this innovative device.
  • Among the best in the nation: Our sleep surgeons are part of Rush's nationally ranked ENT team. U.S. News & World Report ranked Rush University Medical Center’s otorhinolaryngology, head and neck surgery program among the best in the nation.
  • The most precise diagnostic tests: We’re one of just a few hospitals in the U.S. to offer DISE-PAP (drug induced sleep endoscopy during positive airway pressure). This innovative, new diagnostic procedure can help pinpoint what’s causing your sleep apnea and determine if upper airway stimulation is right for you.
Jim
Testimonials

I don't get tired in the afternoons like I did before. I'm alert, I don't wake up with headaches and my wife tells me I don't snore. It's made such a huge difference.

Jim, Patient

Watch Jim's story