Although nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is recommended as the first-line treatment for most patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and its efficacy is well-supported, there is a high rate of nonadherence associated with this modality. A viable alternative treatment to CPAP and other OSA interventions is the electrical stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve, reports Pulmonology Advisor.

“While feasibility and efficacy of this approach has been demonstrated in studies dating back to the 1990s, the technology was then successfully refined to a point that allowed its use in routine practice,” said Robson Capasso, MD, chief of sleep surgery, associate professor of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine, and global advisor to Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign in California.