Upper Airway Stimulation Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Medical, Surgical, and Technical Aspects

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with heavy snoring is a common disorder, affecting more than 1 out of 10 adults, and is closely associated with hypertension, heart disease, stroke, depression, and cognitive decline. Upper airway stimulation therapy is a novel, highly effective alternative method of treatment, involving a surgically implanted device that uses electrical stimulation of muscles to expand the upper airway, thereby addressing the primary cause of OSA.

The first of its kind, Upper Airway Stimulation Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a comprehensive review of the medical, surgical, and technical aspects of this innovative treatment for OSA. It delves into the current state of knowledge regarding upper airway stimulation, reviewing pathophysiological basis of sleep apnea and the specific mechanism by which upper airway stimulation provides airway support in this disorder. Evidence-based, this book provides practical guidelines for patient selection, clinical outcomes, surgical technique, long-term follow-up and adverse events, as well as for developing an upper airway stimulation program.

Karl Doghramji, MD, is Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University. He also serves as Medical Director of the Jefferson Sleep Disorders Center and Program Director of the Fellowship in Sleep Medicine. Dr. Doghramji works as a clinician, researcher, educator, and physician leader, and is actively engaged in interdisciplinary care with academic contributions in the fields of psychiatry, sleep medicine, otolaryngology, neurology, and pulmonary medicine.

Maurits Boon, MD, is board certified in Otolaryngology - Head and Neck surgery as well Sleep Medicine. He is the residency program director for the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. He has focused his career on both surgical and non-surgical treatments for sleep disordered breathing. He was one of the first adopters of upper airway stimulation in the United States and has published extensively on the topic.

Colin Huntley, MD, is board certified in Otolaryngology - Head and Neck surgery as well Sleep Medicine. He is the Associate Residency Program Director for the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. He has focused his clinical and research career on both surgical and non-surgical treatments for sleep disordered breathing. He has published extensively on the management of sleep disordered breathing, including the use of upper airway stimulation.

Kingman P. Strohl, MD, is an established clinical investigator in respiratory and sleep medicine, an active clinician, and an author of more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and 150 invited works. His work encompasses the fields of respiratory physiology, consequences of sleep and sleep apnea, genetic architecture of respiratory control, and sleep education at the pre-doctoral and post-doctoral levels.