Green Country Sleep Apnea Patients Among Millions Impacted By CPAP Recall

Some Green Country sleep apnea patients are among the millions impacted by a CPAP machine recall.

The recall from 2021 still has people waiting for their replacement equipment.

Some patients said they have waited almost two years to get a new machine, while others are even paying out of pocket to get a different brand so they can continue treating their sleep apnea.

Mike Dupree of Cleveland, OK, said he cannot imagine not using a sleep apnea machine.

"It would be just really hard to breathe and keep up sleep schedule and be at work,” said Dupree.

Dupree said in 2021, Phillips Respironics emailed him when it started recalling millions of CPAP and BiPAP machines, including the popular DreamStation.

The company had a voluntary recall after it said an industrial foam fitted in the machines to reduce noise could break apart.

"Which could mean some of that polyurethane could be blown out through the machine as people breathing in at night, and that has potential harmful effects,” said Dr. Michael Newnam with Oklahoma Heart Institute in Tulsa.

Newnam said he still has patients impacted, though the numbers have declined since 2021.

"Sleep apnea is a life-threatening condition, and if you tell somebody we don't want you to use your life-saving machine because your machine may be dangerous, it puts people in a really precarious place,” said Newnam.

Luis Perez, a respiratory therapist and owner of A Better Sleep in Tulsa, said some patients are switching to a different brand and/or paying out of pocket.

"When we first heard of the recall possibly happening, that's when we switched to a different manufacturer on machines, and we were prepared before this impacted the community, so we've been able to help hundreds of patients out,” said Perez.

As for Dupree, he said Phillips did send him a replacement two years later, but he is still worried after the company just announced it will stop selling sleep apnea machines in the United States.

"After that, I'm not sure what we're going to do,” said Dupree. “Hopefully these will last us quite a while."

Experts said if you have a Philips machine, you need to check its website and put in the serial number from the main machine to find out if you're impacted and request a replacement. You can register the device here.