VNS Therapy for Epilepsy, Patients’ Experiences – Part 1

Epilepsy affects more than 3 million Americans and 50 million people worldwide. It can develop unexpectedly with no known cause and at any age. An estimated 35% of people with epilepsy have uncontrolled seizures. Antiepileptic drugs alone in this population are not effective. Alternative treatments, like VNS Therapy, may be an effective option. VNS Therapy is non-drug treatment option for refractory epilepsy that works through a pacemaker-like device implanted under the skin in the chest area, that helps control seizures by regulating electrical activity in the brain. VNS Therapy is not brain surgery. VNS Therapy consists of an implanted pacemaker-like device and stimulating lead. The thin flexible lead runs under the skin and wraps around the left vangus nerve in the neck. The generator, roughly the size of a small pocket watch and weighing less than one ounce, is implanted under the skin in the patient’s left chest area. The lead is then attached to the generator. VNS Therapy delivers mild, intermittent stimulations to the patient’s left vagus nerve, which then activate various areas of the brain helping to prevent electrical irregularities that cause seizures. A unique benefit of VNS Therapy is the ability to control stimulation with the use of a special magnet. The magnet can activate the device to deliver an immediate extra dose of stimulation which can potentially stop a seizure or decrease its intensity. The magnet is also used to control side effects of the …