Friday, February 22, 2008

Methodist Mansfield Medical Center opens new Sleep Diagnostic Center

By Pegasus News wire

The way you can tell when someone is sleep-walking is that they put their arms out in front of them, straight-like, see?

MANSFIELD — Methodist Mansfield Medical Center has opened a new Sleep Diagnostic Center to diagnose and evaluate the growing number of people with sleep disorders. The new center provides two specially designed sleep-study suites to evaluate sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy, snoring, sleepwalking, and other sleep difficulties.

Some 70 million Americans are estimated to suffer from sleep disorders according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Yet because of lack of awareness, most people remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated. Sleep disorders have been linked to traffic accidents, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, memory loss, headaches, obesity, and other long-term side effects.

The Sleep Diagnostic Center is under the direction of Medical Director, Robert E. McMichael, MD, JD, an independently practicing physician on the Methodist Mansfield medical staff, who is board certified in neurology and board certified in subspecialties as sleep medicine, clinical neurophysiology and vascular neurology. His sleep training includes obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, insomnia and narcolepsy.

"Each patient receives a comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis of their sleep disorders," Dr. Robert McMichael, director of the new Sleep Diagnostic Center said. "The study records the patient's sleep patterns, breathing, muscle activity, heart rate, oxygen levels, and other functions while sleeping and provides the referring physicians with a comprehensive assessment."

For the patient, the sleep study is painless. Sensors are placed on the head and body for monitoring responses, and the patient sleeps in a private comfortable room at the hospital, with a private bath, television, wireless network, and contemporary furniture and linens. Following the sleep study, the patient's primary care physician will receive the results.

"Methodist Mansfield Medical Center's Sleep Diagnostic Center is dedicated to helping patients sleep soundly to feel better and live better," Methodist Mansfield President Laura Irvine said. "The Sleep Diagnostic Center uses some of the most advanced technology to assist physicians in diagnosing a variety of sleep disorders."

The Sleep Diagnostic Center is located in Med Day on the first floor of Methodist Mansfield Medical Center at 2700 E. Broad Street in Mansfield, Texas. For more information about sleep studies or to have your physician schedule a sleep study appointment, telephone 214-638-4800 or visit http://www.methodisthealthsystem.org/sleep.

Source: Methodist Health System

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