Original Article
A study on the tolerability and effectiveness of a nasal airway stent in the management of obstructive sleep apnea in our clinic
2021 Volume 67 Issue 2 Pages 87-97
Details
2021 Volume 67 Issue 2 Pages 87-97
The Nastent® (Nastent, Inc., Tokyo) is a nasal airway stent (NAS) released in July 2014 for the management of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), but there are few reports on the tolerability and effectiveness of this NAS. The purpose of this study was to assess the tolerability and evaluate the effectiveness of using a NAS in OSAS management in our clinic. In this study, out-of-center sleep testing (OCST) using Watch-PAT® was performed with and without insertion of a NAS or OA (oral appliance). The testing revealed no marked difference in the sleeping time by the insertion or lack of a NAS or OA, and some patients were able to wear a NAS for a long period of time 17.4 ± 20.9 months (0.1 to 52 months), with significant improvements noted in the snoring index and lowest SpO2 (saturation of percutaneous oxygen) with a NAS. As a result, OSAS therapeutic approaches other than the NAS were selected for 6 (54.5%) subjects who wanted to use a NAS. In conclusion, the present study indicates that it is necessary to explain the possibility that the use of a NAS may not always achieve satisfactory results and we therefore recommend OCST with and without the insertion of a NAS.
