UK Trusts Offer HGNS Sleep Apnoea Implant to First Patients, Reaching 125,000 Worldwide
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 15
UK Trusts Offer HGNS Sleep Apnoea Implant to First Patients, Reaching 125,000 Worldwide
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 15
Summary
Catherine Turnbull, diagnosed with sleep apnoea five years ago, said a newly implanted hypoglossal nerve stimulation device stopped her nightly waking and headaches after she could not tolerate CPAP.
Five UK NHS trusts now offer the treatment, with Swindon’s Great Western Hospital among the first; clinicians there said only a few Wiltshire patients a month will qualify under strict criteria for severe cases.
The device is implanted in the chest and linked to a nerve that moves the tongue forward during sleep, keeping the airway open; patients switch it on each night with a small remote.
About 125,000 people worldwide have had the surgery, mostly in Europe and the United States, as hospitals position it as a second-line option for patients who struggle with traditional masks.
Great Western staff said sleep apnoea can go undiagnosed for years—especially in women—and in severe cases can interrupt breathing around 100 times a night, affecting work, driving and relationships.