Persons
suffering with sleep disorders now have treatment options available
at the Health Services Authority (HSA) with the opening of a new
dedicated sleep laboratory and the recruitment of a sleep medicine
physician at the Cayman Islands Hospital.

“For
years the HSA has been remotely managing and treating patients with
sleep disorders through at-home sleep studies,” said the
Authority’s Medical Director, Dr. Jefferson. “Although convenient
and comfortable, there are some limitations to testing in the absence
of a technician and certain equipment.”

According
to Dr Preeti Devnani, HSA’s first sleep medicine physician, the
sleep lab testing provides a more detailed, accurate and
comprehensive analysis of sleep disorders by monitoring a variety of
functions including monitoring the patient’s brainwaves, oxygen
saturation, leg motion, heart rate, and other critical benchmarks for
diagnosing many sleep disorders.

“The
thoroughness of the sensors that are used during an overnight test
can detect or rule out a variety of sleep disorders, including
obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, narcolepsy and periodic
limb movement disorder,” stated Dr Devnani. “The presence of a
credentialed and experienced technician and the sophisticated
equipment used to ensure that the test goes according to plan and
that the respiratory therapists and I get the data we need to
interpret and conclude the diagnosis and treatment. The whole process
is more comprehensive when done in-lab.”

Dr.
Devnani is a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist certified with
the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. She has 18 years of
experience in the field of sleep disorders.

“Healthy
sleep is increasingly seen as vital to almost every other aspect of
good health, and sleep disorders often have a serious, pervasive
impact on health, productivity and quality of life,” said Dr.
Jefferson. “We are happy to be able to provide the highest quality
of care for persons experiencing sleep problems through a sleep
medicine physician who has all the skills necessary to diagnose and
treat sleep disorders, thus helping to prevent serious
life-threatening diseases and improve patients’ quality of life.
With her level of dedication and understanding of the field of sleep
medicine, Dr. Devnani is an excellent addition to the team.”

-You can find a short video clip featuring HSA Neurologist/Sleep Medicine Specialist Dr. Preeti Devnani here.

ABOUT
US

As
the nation’s principal healthcare provider, the Cayman Islands
Health Services Authority (HSA) offers the broadest range of medical
and specialist services in the Cayman Islands. We have seven
locations throughout all three islands, which include the Cayman
Islands Hospital in Grand Cayman, four district health centres (East
End, North Side, West Bay, Bodden Town), Faith Hospital in Cayman
Brac and the Little Cayman Clinic.