The team of ENT surgeons at the Beau Soleil clinic in Montpellier, an Aésio Santé establishment, is one of five French centers authorized to implant hypoglossal nerve neurostimulators for the treatment of sleep apnea.
From September 2024, the Beau Soleil Clinic in Montpellier will be one of five centers in France authorized to implant hypoglossal nerve neurostimulators for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.
An implantable system
The Inspire® device, offered by the establishment’s ENT surgeons, constitutes a promising alternative for patients who do not tolerate PPC ventilation – continuous positive airway pressure.
Inspire® technology uses a fully implantable system to stimulate the hypoglossal nerve, which helps keep the airway open during sleep. This treatment is for patients with moderate to severe impairment who cannot use CPAP therapy, or for whom CPAP therapy is not effective enough.
10-year autonomy
The Inspire® system consists of 3 elements: a small stimulator, a respiration detection electrode and a stimulation electrode. Using a remote control, the patient can start and stop the stimulation.
The device is implanted during a short hospitalization. A sensor is placed at the level of the thorax, it is able to identify the moments when the patient stops breathing. It then sends the information to an implant which is placed under the skin of the collarbone, which itself stimulates another implant located, this time, under the tongue. This one stretches the tongue by causing a reflex which allows the air to circulate normally.
The device implanted in the chest must be replaced every 10 years, which corresponds to the battery life. The device is MRI compatible.
The number of episodes reduced
Studies conducted on this technique demonstrate a significant reduction in apnea episodes. Social security recently accepted the reimbursement of this therapy, marking a significant advance. It is also important to emphasize that the medical and surgical teams at the Beau Soleil clinic do not charge any excess fees.
This recognition is the result of the work of Dr. Olivier Gallet de Santerre, ENT surgeon at the Beau Soleil clinic, now retired, who contributed enormously to the adoption of this technology.
Today, the succession is ensured, within the establishment, by Drs Vincent Trévillot and François Marlier, ENT surgeons, who implant the Inspire® device.
Aésio Santé: an innovative mutualist player
To care for, to support, to innovate: this is the guiding principle of the mutualist actor. It offers, through nearly 200 health establishments, a range of care and services, adapted to each territory.
Aésio is also present on the ground health and medical-social. From surgery to medicine, including cancerology, follow-up and rehabilitation care, home hospitalization, radiology, health centers, dentistry, etc.
But it is also present on reception for the elderly, people with disabilities, early childhood and personal services or even innovation, research and development.
Always with this aim of caring, supporting and innovating, Aésio deals with the sectors of goods and services: pharmacies, optical centers, hearing aids, general orthopedics and medical equipment.
On a daily basis, 5,100 health professionals are committed to caring for, supporting, assisting and providing their patients, residents and clients with ever more innovative solutions.
Faced with the challenges of our society: aging population, development of chronic diseases, scarcity of public finances, the mutualist group is pursuing its ambition of promote access for all to quality care.
To this end, and in concrete terms, the teams are working in the field to develop e-health and facilitate access to remote specialists or benefit from tools based on artificial intelligence to identify and prevent fragility.
It also ensures the creation of local health centers in areas affected by medical desertification and the optimization of care pathways, avoiding breaks in care and hospitalizations.
Aésio Santé is also responsible for experimenting with new supports and tools to provide new solutions in supporting patients.
