“The Inspire implant has been a great treatment option for patients with obstructive sleep apnea who cannot tolerate CPAP.”
Dr. Craig Hoekzema is an ear, nose and throat surgeon at West Shore ENT & Allergy.
“We know that’s about 50% of patients who have sleep apnea aren’t able to use or wear CPAPs.”
Dr. Hoekzema was the first West Michigan doctor to perform the Inspire V procedure, the fifth generation of Inspire implant for patients with sleep apnea, a disorder where breathing stops and starts repeatedly during sleep. The 2-inch implant is surgically placed inside the upper chest.
“It sends a gentle pulse to the tongue to draw the tongue forward in the mouth, and that opens up the airway. It senses when to do that by synchronizing with a breath.”
Seventy-year-old Spring Lake resident Ron Gallas is a patient of Dr. Hoekzema. Last year, he received the previous implant version and no longer snores.
“I snored, and my wife can now sleep peacefully, and I don’t wake up at nighttime. You go to sleep, you wake up six, seven hours later.”
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