China’s First Domestic Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation (HNS) for Severe Sleep Apnea
Interesting new case report from China describing the first clinical implantation of a domestically developed Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation (HNS) system for severe obstructive sleep apnea.
The patient was a 39-year-old man with severe OSA who could not tolerate CPAP.
Preoperative DISE showed:
- Grade 2 anteroposterior collapse at the soft palate
- Grade 2 anteroposterior collapse at the tongue base
- Grade 1 secondary epiglottic collapse
- No significant lateral wall collapse
- No complete concentric collapse (CCC)
After implantation and activation:
AHI: 46.3 → 11.8 events/hour, a 74.5% reduction.
However, the interesting part is that at 4 months the AHI increased again to 27.6, despite the patient reporting good adherence and high satisfaction.
The Chinese system uses unilateral hypoglossal nerve stimulation, similar to Inspire, but the implanted component is battery-free and wirelessly powered. It uses respiratory cycle-dependent stimulation and requires a single incision.
This is only a single case report with short follow-up, so it is far too early to compare its long-term effectiveness with established HNS systems such as Inspire or Genio. The rebound in AHI at 4 months is particularly interesting and worth following.
Study: Treatment of Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea With a Domestic Implantable Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator: A Case Report