Central sleep apnea is a disorder that causes individuals to have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to send signals to the diaphragm to breathe, causing an individual to stop breathing during sleep for a period of 10 seconds or more before restarting again. According to the National Institute of Health’s National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, central sleep apnea can lead to poor sleep quality and may result in serious health issues, including an increased risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, obesity, and diabetes. Common treatment options for moderate to severe sleep apnea include medication, positive airway pressure devices (e.g., continuous positive airway pressure machine), or surgery.
Listed in the chart below are the only two surgical options for CSA:
System Comparison
| Criteria | Avery Biomedical Devices | Respicardia |
|---|---|---|
| Device name | Spirit | remedé |
| Electrode through veins | No. | Yes. |
| Additional surgeries to replace battery | No surgeries required to replace batteries. External AA batteries. | Requires surgical procedure every 1.4 years to 4.5 years (estimate) to replace implantable pulse generator. |
| Risk of failure | If one side fails, the other side still contracts the diaphragm. | Stimulates one side of the diaphragm. Therapy stops if there is no stimulation. |
| Stimulation effectiveness | Left and right side of the diaphragm contracts. | Only one side of the diaphragm contracts. |
| Approved for all ages | Pediatric and adults. | Adults only. |
| Long-term pacing safety | Well documented. | Unknown |
| FDA approval | FDA approval since January 1987 | FDA Approval since October 2017 |
At Avery Biomedical Devices, we are committed to helping those with breathing difficulties and improving the quality of life. If you have any questions regarding the Avery Diaphragm Pacemaker System and the specific benefits of choosing the system, please call us at 631-864-1600 or contact us to request more information. We are here to help you!