“By monitoring and stabilizing the breathing pattern, the system helps restore sleep throughout the night,” says Dr. Kovach. “It has been proven to reduce sleep apnea events which will decrease daytime sleepiness and improve quality of life.”
James Sibley was the first UnityPoint Health – Trinity patient to receive the remede® System implant. The 74-year-old had suffered with CSA for years. Once the device was activated, he says he began to see improvements in his sleep.
“Pretty much right away it’s gotten better. It’s gotten more restful,” says Sibley. “I don’t even know it’s there, that’s the nice part.”
CSA can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness, reduced exercise capacity, hypoxia (decrease in blood oxygen level), abnormal heart rhythm and lowered quality of life. Long term, untreated CSA can be linked to high blood pressure, heart attack and even death.
The process to determine a candidate for this cutting-edge treatment involves collaboration between multiple departments. A sleep study at the Trinity Sleep Center will help a doctor determine whether a patient has CSA and is a good candidate for therapy. Dr. Akshay Mahadevia of Mahadevia Sleep Consultants explains how patients with CSA did not have options other than a specialized positive pressure therapy known as ASV (Adaptive Servo Ventilation) until now.
“Patients with significant congestive heart failure have increased death rates with ASV. The remede® System is an innovative treatment for CSA patients who cannot tolerate ASV or are not a candidate for it,” says Dr. Mahadevia.
Once determined a candidate for the remede® System, the patient is then referred to a cardiologist. In a minimally invasive outpatient procedure, the cardiologist places the remede® System under the skin in the upper chest area. It typically takes an average of two to three hours and is performed under light sedation. Most patients are able to go home the same day or after a one-night stay in the hospital. A follow-up plan is then determined to ensure the patient is on the right course to see improvements in their CSA.
Anyone interested in more information or to see if the remede® System is right for them can contact the Trinity Sleep Center in Moline at (309) 779-3189.