Trinity Health Ann Arbor First Hospital in Michigan to Offer Inspire V™ for Sleep Apnea Patients

Trinity Health Ann Arbor is proud to be the first hospital in the state of Michigan to successfully implant the Inspire V™ system, a next-generation therapy for patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea who haven’t responded well to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) treatment. Inspire® therapy can provide life-changing relief and significantly improve sleep quality.

Inspire V represents the latest advancement in upper airway stimulation technology. Inspire V is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and improves upon previous versions of Inspire with a simplified procedure, enhanced patient comfort settings and more efficient patient management.

“Offering Inspire V allows us to better serve patients in our community who have struggled with the limitations of traditional sleep apnea treatments,” said Paul Hoff, M.D., an otolaryngology surgeon at Trinity Health Ann Arbor. “We are proud to be at the forefront of this innovation and excited to be able to provide the latest and greatest technological advances to our patients.”

Unlike CPAP machines, which require external masks and hoses, Inspire V is a small device that is implanted during a minimally invasive outpatient procedure. Once implanted, it delivers mild stimulation to key airway muscles to keep the airway open during sleep. Patients are also easily able to turn on the device each night using a handheld remote. The result can bring better quality sleep, as well as significantly fewer issues related to sleep apnea.

Patients at Trinity Health Ann Arbor will also have nurse navigator Michelle Riggs to help them throughout their care journey, even after the procedure is complete. Michelle has nearly three decades of nursing experience in numerous roles, including sleep apnea. Michelle helps patients better understand their health situation, answers any questions that arise along the way, and even helps patients with any insurance issues they run into.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition that disables the ability to breathe while asleep and can last between several seconds to a couple minutes. Symptoms while asleep can include loud snoring, gasping or choking sounds, and frequently being woken up. Meanwhile, symptoms when you’re awake can include a headache in the morning, a dry/sore throat in the morning, fatigue and tiredness throughout the day, and more.

With nearly 1 billion people between the ages of 30 and 69 affected worldwide, obstructive sleep apnea can result in high blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease, stroke, and other major health concerns.

Offering this advanced medical technology to patients further demonstrates Trinity Health Ann Arbor’s commitment to providing innovative, patient-centered health care.

For more information about Inspire V or to schedule an appointment, please contact Trinity Health Ann Arbor’s Sleep Medicine Nurse Navigator at 734-712-7253 or michelle.riggs@trinity-health.org.