Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects 30 million Americans, according to American Medical Association sources. When left untreated, medical experts confirm OSA can cause strokes, heart attacks, memory loss, vehicle and workplace accidents or worsen moods, even prompting death over time. Now, Murfreesboro Medical Clinic’s newest ENT physician is leading the way to treat and alleviate this life-threatening condition.
During December 2024, Hunter Arnaud, M.D., Otolaryngologist, MMC’s Comprehensive ENT Department, completed the first Inspire procedure for OSA at Murfreesboro Medical Clinic & SurgiCenter (MMC). Inspire is an FDA-approved OSA treatment option for people who cannot use Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy.
“I couldn't be more excited to bring this revolutionary technology to Murfreesboro and Middle Tennessee, and I couldn't be prouder of the incredible team here at MMC that made it possible,” he says. “It's a privilege to care for our wonderful patients and help restore their sleep and day-to-day lives.”
To date, he's assisted 13 sleep-deprived patients through the new Inspire procedure.
Daytime tiredness is often blamed on aging and changes in lifestyle, rather than a disorder of sleep, until one is having many episodes of sleep apnea per hour, resulting in being tired all the time or falling asleep while driving.
Dr. Arnaud says OSA occurs when the airway collapses during sleep and blocks the flow of oxygen to the brain. The brain senses a lack of oxygen and wakes the body just long enough to take a breath, then falls back asleep. This cycle repeats throughout nights and causes poor, disruptive sleep.
The Inspire device works inside the body with a patient’s natural breathing process to treat sleep apnea. Mild stimulation opens the airway during sleep, allowing oxygen to flow naturally. Patients uses a small, handheld remote to turn Inspire on before bed and off when they awake.
Dr. Arnaud says the Inspire system is implanted during a short, outpatient procedure. The system is placed under the skin of the neck and chest through two small incisions. "Most patients return home the same day and take over-the-counter pain medications to manage pain as needed."
The safety and efficacy of Inspire was evaluated during a STAR clinical trial, according to the clinic's professionals. Five-year STAR trial outcomes show patients using Inspire experience significant reductions in sleep apnea events and significant improvements in quality-of-life measures. There've been 150-plus peer-reviewed publications on Inspire, showing results consistent with those seen in the STAR trial.
Dr. Arnaud is a board-eligible physician skilled in Otolaryngology (ENT). His expertise includes adult and pediatric otolaryngology, thyroid and parathyroid surgery, cochlear implants, nasal and sinus surgery, head and neck surgery, and the Inspire sleep apnea implant. He received his medical degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and completed his Residency in Otolaryngology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
"My hometown doc influenced me and made me want to become a doctor, seeing the relationships he had and how he impacted people in their time of need. I wanted to be that type of cornerstone for others, too," explains Dr. Arnaud.
Joey Peay, CEO of MMC, notes, “Dr. Arnaud's ability to perform the Inspire procedure in Murfreesboro further demonstrates the clinic’s commitment to bringing state-of-the-art medical treatments to our community. We'll continue to encourage our physicians to bring innovative procedures and techniques to benefit our patients.”
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"Inspire therapy is a mask-free solution for people with obstructive sleep apnea who’ve tried and struggled with CPAP. " ~Hunter Arnaud, M.D., MMC’s Comprehensive ENT Department