Favored by lifestyle, obesity, stress and sleep apnea affects 4 to 5% of the population in France. Not treated, it can cause serious health complications, ranging from chronic fatigue, to cardiovascular and metabolic problems. And if so far, treatment solutions were mainly linked to the PPC, a continuous positive pressure machine, which forces sleeping with a mask connected to a blowing machine, the HCL of Lyon has announced the results of a promising investigation. The group presented this week the first establishment of Inspire technology this week, an implantable neurostimulator at the hypoglosse nerve, which controls the muscles of the language on a 59-year-old patient, followed for three years in the service of sleep medicine and respiratory diseases of the Croix-Rousse hospital.
Help patients in difficulty
Sleep apnea disrupts night breathing by frequent interruptions, from 10 to 30 seconds, caused by the obstruction of the airways. The disorder affects a significant percentage of the population, but it is largely underdiagnosed and sometimes poorly taken care of. Even in the event of PPC treatment, one in two patients abandoned within three years, judging the system too restrictive, or ineffective.
It is in this context that inspires in play. The device, comparable to a pacemaker, includes three elements: a small stimulator inserted in the chest, a breathing detection electrode, and a stimulation electrode placed under the chin. When a respiratory break is detected during sleep, the system sends an electrical signal to the hypoglosse nerve, which slightly advances the tongue to release the passage from air, painlessly and synchronized with the patient’s breathing. Activating the device is carried out via a simple remote control, which the patient uses at bedtime to control the start -up.
The care pathway is supervised by a joint ENT medicine team and sleep specialists. The establishment, relatively light (two incisions, under general anesthesia, in about two hours), obeys selection criteria: body mass index less than 32, proven failure or intolerance to conventional treatments, and endoscopic tests to ensure the future efficiency of the device. After a period of healing, the neurostimulator is then activated and tailor-made for each patient.
Marketed in the United States for over ten years, and in Europe since 2010, Inspire has convinced more than 90,000 patients worldwide and has been the subject of numerous scientific publications. In France, this solution has received a favorable opinion from the High Authority for Health in 2022 and has benefited from a reimbursement by social security since August 2024.
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