Excellent outcomes at 3 years after implantation of the Inspire Medical Upper Airway Stimulation system were reported in the January 2016 issue of the medical journal Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery.  Many types of sleep apnea surgery have solid research evidence demonstrating multiple benefits, from improvements in health and sleep quality (treating sleepiness and quality of life) to… Read more »

The International Surgical Sleep Society is the world’s major organization dedicated to snoring and sleep apnea surgery.  I am honored to be the current President of the ISSS and am excited with new developments that we have recently announced. Next ISSS Meeting: Sao Paulo, Brazil in April 2016 The ISSS has focused their efforts on… Read more »

The 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery was just held in Dallas from September 27-30.  Although I typically give several talks related to sleep apnea surgery, whether focused on drug-induced sleep endoscopy or sleep apnea procedures related to the Palate Region or Tongue Region, one of the most enjoyable and interesting parts… Read more »

Many medical treatments have high initial costs but are considered worthwhile expenses because of the benefits, both direct (improved health and quality of life) and indirect (decreased healthcare spending from avoidance of complications).  For treatments such as kidney dialysis, cardiac pacemakers, and organ transplantation, we as a society are willing to pay for treatments with… Read more »

The subspecialty of snoring and sleep apnea surgery is relatively young, and people ask me all the time how I was drawn to the field.  I was fortunate enough to have my own interest sparked as a medical student at the University of Pennsylvania.  As medical students, we were all a little sleep-deprived (and more… Read more »

Here are some highlights from Days 2 and 3 of our sleep apnea and snoring course: Gary Foster, PhD, a long-time faculty member at Temple University and more recently the C0-Chief Scientific Officer at Weight Watchers, showed new studies evaluating the benefits of weight loss in improving moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, providing evidence… Read more »

This study and others are included in my video discussion of the Inspire Medical Systems Upper Airway Stimulation system that I have posted on Youtube. One of the distinctive aspects of the Inspire Medical Systems STAR Trial was the short-term withdrawal of therapy from some patients.  The November 2014 issue of the medical journal Otolaryngology–Head… Read more »

At the Keck Medical Center of USC, we were the first center in the Western US offering the Inspire Medical Systems Upper Airway Stimulation system for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.  With greater awareness of patients about health conditions and cutting-edge therapies, I have received many requests for information.  Based on these requests, I… Read more »

I am writing from Detroit and Henry Ford Hospital, the site of the 2014 International Surgical Sleep Society meeting.  The meeting brings together leaders from around the world, discussing the latest topics related to surgical and many non-surgical treatments other than positive airway pressure therapy (such as CPAP) and oral appliances.  This was the 6th… Read more »

This month (October 2014) I wrote an editorial in the medical journal SLEEP about a research study that appeared in the same issue.  The study is fascinating because it provides a deeper explanation not only of why weight gain is associated with worse sleep apnea and poorer outcomes for many sleep apnea treatments but why not… Read more »