A new electronic chip could bring relief to patients with a serious disorder that stops them breathing in their sleep.
Eight million people in the UK suffer from sleep apnoea. Their airway becomes obstructed, and their breathing repeatedly stops for several seconds or even minutes.
But surgeons have now begun implanting a chip on a critical nerve, helping people to breathe.
Mrs Boller has suffered from sleep apnoea for 10 years
Sky News was given exclusive access to one of the first NHS operations, carried out at University College London Hospitals (UCLH).
The patient, Natalie Boller, has had sleep apnoea for 10 years. The condition means she can stop breathing up to 30 times an hour.
She only became aware when her husband became concerned.
“He’s afraid I’m going to die,” she said.
“He says it sounds awful, choking and gasping.
Consultant surgeon, Ryan Chin Taw Cheong, says patients can get a better night’s rest
“So as soon as I heard about this new technology, this implant, I was very interested because everything I’ve tried hasn’t worked.”
Surgeons made a small incision under Natalie’s chin, then placed the chip on a nerve that controls a muscle in her tongue.
A better night’s rest
Consultant sleep surgeon Ryan Chin Taw Cheong said the chip sends “a mild electrical pulse to stimulate the nerve, to move the tongue forward, and it opens up the upper airways.
“It means that patients are able to have a better night’s rest and breathe smoothly throughout the night.”
Patients can turn on the device with a remote control or a smartphone app when…
