CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Laryngorhinootologie 2018; 97(S 02): S364-S365
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1640982
Abstracts
Schlafmedizin: Sleeping Disorders

Monopolar electrode configuration in patients with an implanted upper airway stimulation system for obstructive sleep apnea

Z Zhu
1   HNO-Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, München, München
,
B Hofauer
1   HNO-Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, München, München
,
M Wirth
1   HNO-Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, München, München
,
C Heiser
1   HNO-Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, München, München
› Author Affiliations
 

Introduction:

The stimulation lead cuff of the selective upper airway stimulation system (Inspire Medical Systems, Maple Grove, USA) contains three electrodes. This results in various configuration options (monopolar and bipolar settings). The bipolar configuration + – + is the default setting. However, in some cases monopolar stimulation leads to more efficient reduction in the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) or is better tolerated by the patient. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of monopolar configurations on the clinical outcome.

Methods:

All patients who received an upper airway stimulation system since April 2014 and had a monopolar electrode configuration at the 6-month or 12-month follow-up were enrolled. Treatment outcome data were collected including AHI, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and adherence to therapy.

Results:

Out of 100 implanted patients, 11 patients (sex: 11 male; age: 66 ± 13 years; BMI: 29.4 ± 2.6 kg/m2) had monopolar stimulation settings. The baseline median AHI could be reduced from 41.1 ± 17.6/h to 12.6 ± 8.6/h after 6 months and to 9.2 ± 16.1/h after 12 months. The median ESS decreased from 14.0 ± 6.1 to 7.0 ± 3.9 (6 months) and further to 6.0 ± 5.3 (12 months). The nightly usage duration was 5.9 ± 2.0h at 6 months and 6.2 ± 2.3h at 12 months.

Conclusion:

Patients with monopolar electrode configurations for optimal tongue movement achieve similar good clinical results compared to patients with standard bipolar configurations. Various electrode configurations lead to improved stimulation for optimized and customized therapy.



Publication History

Publication Date:
18 April 2018 (online)

© 2018. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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