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Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)
Vagus Nerve Stimulation is a process by which the person’s Vagus nerve is stimulated to modulate the brain circuits to stop or decrease the frequency of the seizure attack. This can also be useful in some psychiatric disorder
How is it performed?
Basically it is a procedure performed by a neurosurgeon. The implants consist of three parts
- Spiral lead
- A pulse generator – pacemaker like device
- Connecting wire
A coil like electrode is wrapped around the nerve in the neck known as vagal nerve by making a small incision in the neck. Neuro stimulator is placed in the chest just below the collar bone and the wire is connected in between the two under the skin. It is a simple, straight forward and safe procedure and it is also approved by the FDA.
Who are the ideal candidates for this procedure?
- Generalized epilepsy refractory to appropriate adequate medical management
- Generalized epilepsy for whom epilepsy surgery will not be performed because of various reasons
- Refractory seizure even after appropriate surgical management
Can this procedure be performed in children?
Yes, it can be performed in children with medically refractory epilepsy and the FDA has given approval for children more than 4 years of age
Is it more expensive?
No, Comparing the benefits and safety of this procedure, the treatment cost is reasonable.
Will patients get immediate results?
No, the response will be progressively increasing over the time
Success rate of VNS
As per the literature and our experiences around 50 % of the patients will get more than 50 % seizure reduction in the first 6 months and around 75 % of the patients will show desirable seizure reduction over the period of 2 years.