A tongue-stimulating implant offers hope to millions with sleep apnoea in the UK

Sleep apnoea is a silent sleep thief, robbing millions of their vitality night after night. For the 8 million people in the UK who grapple with this disruptive disorder, a groundbreaking solution has arrived.
Enter Nyxoah's Genio implant — a tiny device that zaps nerves in the tongue to restore restful breathing. This UK-first procedure marks a giant leap forward, offering fresh hope to those battling the exhausting cycle of interrupted sleep.
How does it work?
Imagine this: a small incision under the chin, a bit of tech wizardry, and voilà — you've got a tongue that knows how to behave at night. That's essentially what happens during the three-hour procedure to fit the Genio implant. Surgeons carefully identify the hypoglossal nerve — the muscle maestro of the tongue — and hook it up to a stimulator. The device is then paired with a removable chip, worn externally on an adhesive patch before bedtime.
When activated, the implant sends gentle pulses to the tongue, keeping it in line and ensuring airways stay open. The system is app-controlled, so patients can tweak the settings and monitor their sleep with ease. During the day, the chip rests and recharges, much like its lucky wearer.
Why does it matter?
"I'm looking forward to being more active," said 63-year-old Natalie Boller, one of the first to receive the implant. For years, her life had been stifled by fatigue, a hallmark of obstructive sleep apnoea. Loud snoring, choking fits, and constant wake-ups don't just disrupt sleep — they erode quality of life.
Until now, many relied on CPAP machines, which involve wearing a pressurized mask through the night. Effective but uncomfortable, these machines often feel like sleeping with an octopus suctioned to your face. The Genio implant and its cousin, the Inspire device, are changing that narrative. By stimulating the tongue's nerves, they offer a sleek alternative, no mask required.
As Ryan Chin Taw Cheong, a leading ENT and sleep surgeon, put it: "We're hoping to really drive this field forward."
The context
The Genio implant is part of a broader wave of innovation reshaping how we approach sleep apnoea. At University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, medics are leading the charge, offering patients the choice of advanced nerve stimulators. This month's surgeries were the first of their kind in the UK, with the aim of making such options more widely available.
Sleep apnoea is no small fry; it's linked to serious health risks like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. The condition thrives on neglect, often undiagnosed until it's wreaked havoc. By bringing cutting-edge solutions like the Genio implant to the forefront, clinicians hope to offer better sleep and a new lease on life.
As Cheong aptly noted, "When a patient comes to our clinics, they are confident and assured that they will access the best treatment for sleep apnoea on the planet."
💡Did you know?
You can take your DHArab experience to the next level with our Premium Membership.👉 Click here to learn more
🛠️Featured tool
Easy-Peasy
An all-in-one AI tool offering the ability to build no-code AI Bots, create articles & social media posts, convert text into natural speech in 40+ languages, create and edit images, generate videos, and more.
👉 Click here to learn more
