UK sleep apnea patient finds life transformed with nerve-stimulation implant

A UK patient with sleep apnea who struggled with CPAP is among the first to receive a hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) implant at Swindon's Great Western Hospital. The chest-implanted device, controlled by a remote, moves the tongue to keep the airway open during sleep, ending nightly awakenings and headaches and delivering life-changing relief. The treatment is for CPAP-intolerant patients and has been rolled out mainly in Europe and the US, with about 125,000 people worldwide having the surgery.