Is Inspire surgery a major operation?

No. It's an outpatient procedure performed by a surgeon, usually taking a few hours under general anesthesia. Most patients go home the same day and return to normal activities within a couple of weeks. Your care team will review recovery in detail with you.

Will I feel the device working at night?

Most people adjust to the gentle stimulation quickly, and we tune the settings so therapy is comfortable enough to sleep through. If anything feels off, the settings can be adjusted at a follow-up visit.

What if I don't qualify for Inspire?

You still have excellent options. Many patients do very well on an oral appliance or with a better-fitted CPAP setup. Part of our job is matching you to the treatment you'll actually stick with.

Does insurance cover Inspire?

Inspire is covered by many major insurers and Medicare for patients who meet the criteria. We'll help verify your specific benefits and coordinate the approval steps before moving forward.

Do you offer Inspire here?

Our physician-led team provides the full Inspire pathway — evaluation, candidacy testing, coordination with your surgeon, activation, and ongoing tuning. Start with an evaluation and we'll map out the right next step for you.

Inspire Therapy in Glendale & Phoenix, AZ

Inspire Therapy

A mask-free, hose-free option for qualifying adults with moderate-to-severe sleep apnea who can't get comfortable with CPAP. A small implant gently keeps your airway open — and you control it with a handheld remote at night.

SPMedically reviewed by Sarah Patel, MD · Board-certified, fellowship-trained in Sleep Medicine

What is Inspire therapy?

Inspire is an FDA-cleared treatment for obstructive sleep apnea that works from the inside — no mask, no hose, and no machine on the nightstand. During a short outpatient procedure, a surgeon places a small device just under the skin of the chest. While you sleep, it delivers gentle stimulation that keeps the muscles around your airway from collapsing.

It's designed for people who have real, moderate-to-severe apnea but simply couldn't make CPAP work. Instead of adapting your life to a machine, Inspire works quietly in the background — you turn it on with a small remote before bed and off when you wake up.

How it works

Senses your breathing

The implant monitors your natural breathing pattern throughout the night.

Gently stimulates

In rhythm with each breath, it delivers a mild pulse to the nerve that controls your tongue and airway muscles.

Keeps the airway open

That stimulation moves the tongue slightly forward, so the airway stays open and airflow keeps moving.

You stay in control

A handheld remote lets you turn therapy on at night, off in the morning, and pause or adjust as needed.

Who qualifies?

Inspire isn't for everyone, and that's by design. General FDA-cleared criteria include:

1 Adults age 18 and older
2 Moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea
3 Unable to use or benefit from CPAP
4 Not significantly overweight (within BMI range)
5 Airway anatomy suited to the therapy
6 Confirmed OSA on a recent sleep study

These are general guidelines. The only way to know for certain is an evaluation — which may include a quick in-office airway exam to confirm the therapy is a good fit for you.

What to expect

EvaluationWe review your history, your sleep study, and past CPAP experience. If Inspire looks promising, a brief airway exam confirms candidacy.

The procedureAn outpatient surgery, typically a few hours, done under general anesthesia. Most people go home the same day and return to normal activities within a couple of weeks.

ActivationAbout a month after surgery — once you've healed — we turn the device on and fine-tune the settings to a comfortable level.

Living with itYou click the remote on at bedtime. Over follow-up visits we adjust the therapy so it's both effective and easy to sleep through.

Risks & side effects

Inspire is generally well tolerated, but — like any implanted device — it carries some risks and side effects. Your surgeon and sleep physician will review all of them with you before you decide.

From the procedure

Temporary pain, swelling, or bruising near the incisions is common and settles over the first weeks. As with any surgery under anesthesia, there's a small risk of bleeding or infection; serious complications are uncommon.

From the therapy

Some people notice tongue soreness or weakness, a mild abrasion of the tongue, or an unusual sensation from the stimulation — usually mild, and often easing as we fine-tune the settings.

Less commonly, the device or one of its thin wires (leads) may need repositioning, and the implant has specific MRI considerations your care team will explain. Its battery lasts several years and is eventually replaced in a minor procedure. Not everyone responds fully — which is why the evaluation, activation, and follow-up tuning we provide matter so much.

Inspire vs. CPAP

Both treat obstructive sleep apnea well. The difference is the experience — and which one you'll actually use every night.

Inspire

No mask or hose. A one-time implant controlled by remote. Best for qualifying patients who couldn't tolerate CPAP.

CPAP

The proven first-line therapy for most people. A mask and machine deliver steady airflow — highly effective when the fit is right.

Not sure which path fits? Compare your options on our CPAP therapy page, or learn more about sleep apnea overall.