AUTHOR=Vanderveken Olivier M. , Beyers Jolien , Op de Beeck Sara , Dieltjens Marijke , Willemen Marc , Verbraecken Johan A. , De Backer Wilfried A. , Van de Heyning Paul H. 

TITLE=Development of a Clinical Pathway and Technical Aspects of Upper Airway Stimulation Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2017.00523

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2017.00523

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=<p>Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disease with high morbidity and related mortality. Narrowing and collapse of the pharyngeal airway during sleep characterize the disease, resulting in a decrease (hypopnea) or a complete cessation (apnea) of oronasal airflow. Upper airway stimulation (UAS), using electrical neurostimulation of the hypoglossal nerve (n. XII) synchronized with ventilation, is a novel, evolving treatment option. UAS was found to be an effective treatment in CPAP-intolerant patients. The treatment success is partly due to the strict selection of the patients, based on previous findings. Furthermore, post-operative follow-up is needed in order to maintain or improve treatment outcome. Therefore, a clinical pathway, which provides structure and standardization, is crucial. In this paper, the aim is to discuss the technical aspects of UAS therapy and to describe a clinical pathway to organize the care process of UAS for OSA in a structured and standardized way.</p>