Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Around 70 million Americans have sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.^1,2 Studies link sleep deficiency to multiple comorbidities in adults, including heart disease and stroke,^1,3-5 as well as an increased risk of car crashes, work-related accidents, and diminished job performance.^1,3-6 In children, obstructive sleep apnea can significantly affect behavior and learning ability.^5-7 Yet most people with sleep disorders are undiagnosed.^1,3 Medtronic offers numerous innovative solutions to help you treat your patients with sleep-disordered breathing.

For Tongue- and Hyoid-Based Obstructions

The AIRvance™ Tongue and Hyoid Suspension System* may be used for two surgical treatments, each of which requires about 30 minutes to perform.

AIRvance Tongue Suspension

The objective of the AIRvance Tongue Suspension procedure is to advance and stabilize the genioglossus muscle. This prevents it from falling back and occluding the airway when the patient is supine and asleep, thus helping prevent obstructive sleep apnea and/or snoring. During the procedure, you implant a small titanium screw with attached sutures in the lower mandible, then loop the sutures through the tongue to form a hammock that suspends the tongue.

View an animated surgical video of tongue suspension (3:35, 21.7 MB) using our AIRvance System for obstructive sleep apnea.

For Hypopharyngeal Obstructions

AIRvance Hyoid Suspension

The AIRvance Hyoid Suspension procedure is designed to help improve airway patency by providing anterior/posterior and lateral support of the lower airway, as well as lateral support of the tongue base. This is accomplished by advancing and suspending the hyoid bone and associated musculature to treat obstructive sleep apnea and/or snoring. During the procedure, you implant two small titanium screws with attached sutures in the lower mandible, and loop the sutures around the hyoid bone to suspend it.

View an animated surgical video of hyoid suspension (4:10, 25.0 MB) using our AIRvance System for obstructive sleep apnea.

For Inferior Turbinate Obstructions

Inferior Turbinate Blades

If your patient's sleep disorder is caused by inferior turbinate deformity or hypertrophy, choose our patented Inferior Turbinate Blades and Straightshot^® M4 Microdebrider for powered inferior turbinoplasty. These products can help you reduce inferior turbinate volume while preserving mucosa and avoiding unpredictable damage to surrounding tissue. Clinical studies demonstrate significantly better long-term results and a reduced risk of complications.^8-12

View a surgical video of powered inferior turbinoplasty (2:35, 9.8 MB).

*As of August 2011 the Repose^® brand was changed to AIRvance.