Palm Beach County–  The only FDA approved minimally invasive sleep apnea treatment, that eliminates the need for masks and traditional cumbersome sleep equipment, is now available in South Florida; and it’s only being managed in Palm Beach County by the doctors from Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Disorders Institute of South Florida (PCSI).

The physician group are no strangers to pioneering new medical technology and practices. They were the first in Florida to utilize Spire Health Tags for remote patient monitoring and the first trained in South Florida on the revolutionary Monarch Robot technology used to biopsy lung nodules previously deemed inaccessible by dated equipment. Now Dr. Bakst and Dr. Maizes, sleep experts within the group, completed the training necessary to manage the care for patients who qualify for this new technology, making them the only sleep physicians in Palm Beach County currently offering this innovation in sleep disorder management.

According to the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA), nearly 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea and complain of symptoms consisting of excessive daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, episodes of stopped breathing during sleep, dry mouth, headache, and abrupt awakening accompanied by episodes of stopped breathing during sleep. The widely used current treatment option, the continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP) machine, includes a shoebox size pump, hoses, a mask and is met with its own set of complaints.

“The CPAP does take some time for our patients to get used to. Some of the common complaints we hear are dry mouth, noisy equipment, feeling claustrophobic, unintentional removal of the mask while sleeping, and difficulty sleeping. We can usually help mitigate some of the discomfort through proper sizing, teaching, and adjustments but there are some patients who still find it intolerable,” said Dr. Alan Bakst.

The new technology, Inspire, offers patients an alternative to conventional external equipment.

“A great night’s sleep is as incredibly important as exercising and healthy eating habits. By being able to offer our patients this new technology we hope to increase compliance with sleep apnea treatments. By improving an individual’s sleep quality, you are improving their quality of life,” said Dr. Jay Maizes, who is also the Director of the Sleep Lab at JFK Medical Center.

The small device, surgically implanted by way of two small incisions, sits just below the chest wall, and works inside of the body with the natural breathing cycle by delivering mild stimulation to key airway muscles allowing the airway to remain open while sleeping. The outpatient procedure is done at North Broward Medical Center and can be managed in Palm Beach County by Dr. Bakst or Dr. Maizes.

Thirty days after the procedure the patient is seen at either PCSI location. During the visit the patient will receive thorough training on the complete use of Inspire and upon complete understanding Dr. Bakst or Dr. Mazies will activate the device. If additional training or evaluation is required, the patient will be monitored at an overnight stay in the Sleep lab at JFK Medical Center. Patients only need to be seen every 6 to 12 months after activation to check on the progress and functionality of the Inspire device and remote.

To learn more, or to schedule an appointment at either of their Wellington or Atlantis offices, please visit www.pscisfl.com or call (561) 967-4118.

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