About Dr. Pearlstein
Dr. Richard Pearlstein specializes in Inspire Sleep Apnea treatment and Sleep Surgery. He is recognized as a Physician of Excellence, an award received by less than 1% of ENT surgeons in the U.S., for his work in Inspire and Sleep Surgery. Dr. Pearlstein received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1992 and is a member of the International Surgical Sleep Society.
What Is Inspire?
Inspire is the only FDA approved obstructive sleep apnea treatment that works inside your body to treat the root cause of sleep apnea with just the click of a button.
Inspire® Upper Airway Stimulation is a Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment that includes an implanted system, and a patient remote. Inspire is indicated for second-line treatment of moderate to severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea in adult patients with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) between 15 and 65. Inspire therapy is not intended for patients with a complete concentric collapse at the level of the soft palate, or those in whom central and mixed apneas make up 25% or more of their apnea-hypopnea index.
How Does Inspire Work?
Inspire works inside your body while you sleep. It’s a small device placed during a same-day, outpatient procedure. When you’re ready for bed, simply click the remote to turn Inspire on. While you sleep, Inspire opens your airway, allowing you to breathe normally and sleep peacefully.
The system delivers mild stimulation to the hypoglossal nerve which controls the movement of the tongue and other key airway muscles. By stimulating these muscles, the airway remains open during sleep. Inspire is inserted under the skin in an outpatient procedure that takes two to three hours. Most patients go home the same day. The procedure consists of 2 incisions: 1 in the upper right chest where a small device is placed; and 1 just under your chin where the hypoglossal nerve is located.
You May Be A Candidate for Inspire If:
- You have moderate to severe sleep apnea
- You have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.
- You are unable to use or get consistent benefit from CPAP.
- You are not significantly obese.
What Are The Benefits?
Inspire therapy has been demonstrated to significantly reduce the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Proper treatment may lead to an increase in the ability to perform daily tasks and a decrease in risks associated with untreated OSA: accidents (e.g., motor vehicle accidents), hypertension, stroke, diabetes, vascular disease, heart failure, and early mortality.