Erie-area woman beats sleep apnea with implantable inspire device
Lisa Sharpless’ sleep apnea was so severe that her husband, Jim, would lie awake in bed and silently count the seconds between her labored breaths as she dozed.
Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes people to temporarily stop breathing as they sleep. In Sharpless’ case, the Millcreek Township woman’s tongue would move backward and block her airway.
“I’d lay there and listen,” Jim Sharpless said. “It seemed like forever while I was waiting for her to take a breath, though it was probably 20 to 30 seconds.”
Left untreated, sleep apnea can increase a person’s risk for heart attack, stroke, dementia, accidents due to sleepiness, and sudden death.
Sharpless, 68, didn’t know she had sleep apnea until she was hospitalized in 2018 for an unrelated matter. The amount of oxygen in her bloodstream declined rapidly while she slept, a sign of apnea.
“It was a surprise to me because I didn’t have some of the typical symptoms,” Sharpless said. “I didn’t feel tired when I woke up and I wouldn’t fall asleep during the day. The only thing was that I woke up every night thinking I had to go to the bathroom, though I didn’t have to go.”
Sharpless spent a night at Saint Vincent Hospital’s Sleep Center, where she averaged 62 episodes of apnea an hour, meaning she stopped breathing for at least 20 seconds. Her tongue would move to the back of her throat during sleep and block her airway.
“That’s not an unusual amount for someone with apnea but it is definitely in the severe range,” said Dr. Jeffrey McGovern, a pulmonologist and the center’s director.
The traditional treatment for sleep apnea is a continuous positive airway pressure — or CPAP — mask, but Sharpless couldn’t stand wearing the mask while she slept. Instead, she selected a dental device that prevented apnea by pushing out her lower jaw.
She wore the device at night for several years. It improved but didn’t eliminate her sleep apnea.
“In 2022, I was in Florida and my tooth broke,” Sharpless said. “My teeth shifted a bit and the device no longer fit.”
Since the device couldn’t be retrofitted, Sharpless’ dentist suggested a different way to treat her apnea.
He recommended the Inspire device, which is implanted near a person’s collarbone and keeps their airway open by sending electrical pulses to the hypoglossal nerve that controls the tongue muscle.
Sharpless feels effect of Inspire device almost immediately
Sharpless underwent surgery to have the Inspire device implanted and there is a nearly two-inch scar just below her right collarbone. Another incision was made just below her jawline.
“The pulses stimulate the tongue to move forward while I sleep,” Sharpless said. “I turn it on with a mouse-like device when I go to bed and I turn it off after I wake up.”
The effects were almost immediate. Sharpless stopped waking up during the night and she felt more rested, even though she thought that she was already getting enough sleep.
Sharpless returned to the sleep center on Oct. 30 and test results confirmed how she was feeling.
“Lisa went from 64 episodes an hour to four,” McGovern said. “Her airway had been closing every 45 seconds, and now it’s every 15 minutes. That’s a cure.”
Using the Inspire device can cause side effects
Using the Inspire device can cause some side effects. In addition to the usual risks during surgery, people have complained of dry mouth, tongue discomfort and soreness at the surgical site.
In rare cases, patients have reported nerve damage.
Saint Vincent will host a seminar about the device Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Admiral Room at the Blasco Memorial Library, 160 E. Front St. The event is free but registration is required by calling 724-216-3461.
Not only is Sharpless happy with the results, so is her husband.
“I am sleeping through the night, too,” Jim Sharpless said with a smile.
Contact David Bruce at [email protected]. Follow him on X @ETNBruce.
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