Inspire Procedure

There are many different sleep apnea treatment options available. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CAP) is the most commonly used treatment for OSA. CAP uses a mask and hose to blow pressurized air into the airway to keep it open during sleep. This treatment works well for some patients, however studies show about 50% of people who are given a PAP machine don’t use it. Other treatment options include oral appliances and major anatomy altering surgeries.

Inspire works inside the body with a patient’s natural breathing process to treat sleep apnea. Inspire delivers a mild stimulation to key airway muscles, allowing the airway to open during sleep. The patient uses a small handheld remote to turn inspire on before bed and off when they wake up. No mask, no hose, just sleep.

The Inspire system is made of a small battery and 2 small wires. Inspire is placed under the skin of the neck and chest through two or three small incisions during an outpatient procedure. Most patients return home the same day and return to non-strenuous activities within a few days. Over-the-counter pain medicine is typically used for a few days after the procedure for pain management.

Inspire is controlled by the patient using the small, handheld Inspire Sleep Remote. The Inspire Sleep Remote is used to turn Inspire on before bed and off in the morning. Additionally, the patient can pause therapy during the night if needed and increase/decrease therapy settings.

Alex Caten, MD is an otolaryngologist at Northwest Ear, Nose and Throat in Post Falls, Idaho.

Otolaryngology is a medical specialty which is focused on the ears, nose, and throat. It is also called otolaryngology-head and neck surgery because specialists are trained in both medicine and surgery. An otolaryngologist is often called an ear, nose, and throat doctor, or an ENT for short.

Otolaryngologists complete up to 15 years of college and post-graduate training before practicing. This includes completing a four-year undergraduate degree, four years of medical school, five years of specialty training and a one-to-two-year fellowship for additional training in a sub-specialty.

Dr. Caten earned his undergraduate degree in degree in cell biology and neuroscience at home in Montana State and completed his medical doctorate at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. Drawn to the unique balance of surgical and clinical skills that specialists in ear, nose and throat diseases, Dr. Caten chose to spend the next five years completing his residency at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta Georgia. While at the Medical College of Georgia, Dr. Caten became a member of the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society and a recipient of a the top research award for his work on the use 3D printing for mandibular reconstruction.

Not everyone who practices otolaryngology is board certified. To legally practice medicine, a doctor is only required to be licensed by the state in which they practice. State medical licensure allows a physician to independently practice medicine but does not define one as a specialist to the public. Board certification adds a higher level of credentialing and validates expertise in a specific specialty or subspecialty based on training and assessment requirements. The examinations to attain initial board certification from the American Board of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, along with the renewal of certification at periodic intervals through the Continuing Certification program, ensure that its diplomates (board-certified physicians) meet or exceed the standards of the specialty and continue to do so throughout their careers. Dr. Caten is a board-certified diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery,

Born in Cody, Wyoming and raised in Billings, Montana, Dr. Caten has mountain living in his blood. Dr. Caten, his wife Scottie and their two young children now call Idaho home and are thrilled to be back in the Pacific Northwest.

Dr. Tacia is board certified in Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery by the American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AOBOO-HNS) and is committed to providing compassionate, comprehensive medical care for disorders of the ear, nose, throat, head and neck.

Dr. Tacia was born and raised on Whidbey Island, just outside of Seattle in the scenic Pacific Northwest. As an outstanding scholar and athlete, she attended Central Washington University on an academic and softball scholarship where she graduated with honors. Dr. Tacia went on to earn her Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from Des Moines University and dual specialty training in both Otolaryngology head and neck surgery, as well as facial plastic surgery at the Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.