Shreveport VA offers treatment for vets with obstructive sleep apnea
SHREVEPORT, La. — The Overton Brooks VA Medical Center now offers a medically advanced, FDA-approved, obstructive sleep apnea treatment option for veterans unable to tolerate conventional Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy.
“Inspire® represents a significant advancement in treating sleep apnea,” said Dr. Ameya Asarkar, a Shreveport VA ENTotolaryngologist and assistant professor at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport-Academic Medical Center. “It is clinically proven to reduce sleep apnea events, has a high level of patient satisfaction, and if a patient meets all the eligibility criteria, they find it easy to use.”
People with OSA have a collapsed or blocked airway that prevents them from getting enough air into their lungs while they sleep.
They may snore, wake up frequently during the night, experience daytime sleepiness, and/or have difficulty concentrating.
If left untreated, obstructive sleep apnea can contribute to more serious health issues, such as high blood pressure. OSA affects more than 22 million
Americans.
For people who cannot tolerate using a CPAP, this treatment may offer an alternative.
It is a surgically implanted system that monitors a person’s unique breathing patterns and provides just enough stimulation to contract the throat muscles to keep them airway open during sleep, allowing oxygen to flow naturally.
The system is implanted during a short, outpatient procedure.
It is placed under the skin of the neck and chest through three small incisions.
Most patients return home the same day and take over-thecounter pain medications to manage any incision pain.
“I am proud of the skills and talents our surgical team has,” said Otolaryngology Section Chief Dr. Edward Milligan, who is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology. “Our team constantly strives to open new doors and make new, medical alternatives available for our Veterans.”
(To learn more, contact the Otolaryngology Clinic at 318-2218411, ext. 7745.)