Cleveland Clinic Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation Course 2026

The Cleveland Clinic Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation Course 2026 follows the patient journey from initial screening to implant surgery, programming, and long-term follow-up. Directed by Vaishal Shah, MD, MPH, it examines patient selection, drug-induced sleep endoscopy, surgical outcomes, and the teamwork needed to build an HNS program. Interactive cases connect these steps with everyday care, while dedicated sessions address pediatric patients and co-morbid insomnia with sleep apnea. The one-day program was held on October 1, 2026, at the Cleveland Clinic Administrative Campus in Beachwood, Ohio, with a livestream option. It is intended for clinicians involved in sleep medicine, sleep surgery, and multidisciplinary HNS care.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the evolution, mechanism, and clinical indications for hypoglossal nerve stimulation.
2. Apply evidence-based criteria for patient selection and pre-implant screening.
3. Understand DISE and surgical implant procedure.
4. Deliver optimal perioperative and post-implant care to maximize patient outcomes.
5. Address special considerations in pediatric and COMISA (Co-morbid Insomnia with Sleep Apnea) patient populations.
6. Develop strategies to initiate and grow a multidisciplinary HNS program.

Course Director and Faculty

Cleveland Clinic Symposium Director

Vaishal Shah, MD, MPH

• Director, Sleep Disorders Center
• Medical Director, HSN Program

Cleveland Clinic Faculty

• Brian Chen, MD — HNS Sleep Medicine Staff
• Christen Cheuvront, MSN, APRN — Nurse Practitioner, HNS Sleep Medicine
• Michelle Drerup, PsyD, DBSM — Director, Behavioral Sleep Medicine
• Margaret Heidenreich, MSN, APRN — Nurse Practitioner, HNS Sleep Medicine
• Brandon Hopkins, MD — Section Head Pediatric Otolaryngology & Pediatric HNS Surgeon
• Alan Kominsky, MD — Head, Section of Surgical Sleep and Snoring
• Noordeep Panesar, MD, MHS, MS — HNS Sleep Medicine Staff
• Vaibhav Ramprasad, MD — HNS Otolaryngology Surgeon
• Eric Yeh, MD — HNS Sleep Medicine Staff

Inspire Medical System Faculty

• Patrick Ortman
• Frank Heuber
• Brett Geib

This was a non-CME educational activity. The original hands-on programming breakouts were for in-person participants; livestream attendees could observe only. The agenda lists the original activities and does not establish that every session, breakout, or social event is included in the recordings.

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