Bayfront Health St. Petersburg Announces Procedure to Reduce the Harmful Effects of Sleep Apnea

Bayfront Health St. Petersburg is among the first hospitals in Florida to offer Inspire, an innovative FDA-approved device that treats sleep apnea without requiring patients to wear a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) mask while they sleep. Trina Espinola, MD., the chief medical officer at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg, and Julia Pfaff, MD., who specializes in image-guided and minimally invasive otolaryngology techniques, are among the first physicians to treat patients at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg with this innovative technology.

“This is the first truly effective alternative to CPAP we’ve had, and we are very excited to be able to offer Inspire to our patients,” said Dr. Espinola. “CPAP is still the most effective and widely available treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). But there are many patients that can’t or won’t use it.”

Obstructive sleep apnea is a very serious condition that affects nearly 22 million Americans. It interrupts a sleeping person’s normal breathing rhythms when muscles surrounding the airway experience extreme relaxation, causing the airway to collapse and leaving the person without air for dangerous periods of time. The next morning the unrested person may experience drowsiness, irritability, memory issues and increased risk of stroke or heart attack.

To learn more visit Sleep Apnea Innovation