Technical tips during implantation of selective upper airway stimulation

Objective: Selective upper airway stimulation is now well-established in the United States and in several European countries, with more than 1,000 patients implanted since U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in April 2014. The authors herein, all head and neck surgeons, account for approximately one of every five implants completed to date. Several of the authors also provide comprehensive longitudinal care of their patients as dual-specialty sleep medicine physicians.

Study design: Multi-center, retrospective clinical analysis.

Methods: More than 300 implants have been evaluated and reviewed in five different implant centers (Germany, United States).

Results: This analysis shares tips and techniques from the collective experiences with more than 300 implants, which can help newer implanters learn vicariously both for standard practices in executing routine implants through activation and, importantly, for working through more challenging encounters with anatomy, special patient phenotypes, system testing, and troubleshooting.

Conclusion: These tips should help new implanters handle most of the situations arising during implantation and avoid common pitfalls. Laryngoscope, 128:756-762, 2018.