What is vns therapy

Settings can be adjusted by a nurse and doctor trained in the use of VNS Therapy. A magnet can also be used to trigger bursts of stimulation when a seizure happens. Complete seizure freedom by VNS happens in only small numbers of people. VNS is not considered a substitute for seizure medications. People continue to take seizure medications while using VNS.

However, if the VNS works, some people can lower the number or dose of medications and lessen side effects. Side effects of VNS are usually mild, including hoarseness and coughing, tingling, and shortness of breath. These usually occur when a person is getting used to the stimulation. The mission of the Epilepsy Foundation is to lead the fight to overcome the challenges of living with epilepsy and to accelerate therapies to stop seizures, find cures, and save lives.

Skip to main content. Epilepsy News From: Tuesday, February 24, Make sure you know what all of your other treatment choices are and that you and your doctor both feel that implanted vagus nerve stimulation is the best option for you. Ask your doctor exactly what you should expect during surgery and after the pulse generator is in place.

You may need to stop taking certain medications ahead of time, and your doctor may ask you not to eat the night before the procedure. Before surgery, your doctor will do a physical examination. You may need blood tests or other tests to make sure you don't have any health concerns that might be a problem.

Your doctor may have you start taking antibiotics before surgery to prevent infection. Surgery to implant the vagus nerve stimulation device can be done on an outpatient basis, though some surgeons recommend staying overnight. The surgery usually takes an hour to an hour and a half.

You may remain awake but have medication to numb the surgery area local anesthesia , or you may be unconscious during the surgery general anesthesia. The surgery itself doesn't involve your brain. Two incisions are made, one on your chest or in the armpit axillary region, and the other on the left side of the neck.

The pulse generator is implanted in the upper left side of your chest. The device is meant to be a permanent implant, but it can be removed if necessary. The pulse generator is about the size of a stopwatch and runs on battery power. A lead wire is connected to the pulse generator.

The lead wire is guided under your skin from your chest up to your neck, where it's attached to the left vagus nerve through the second incision. Surgeons implant a device near the collarbone and run a wire to the vagus nerve.

When the device fires it stimulates that nerve to send signals to the brain. This increases activity in areas that control mood. The pulse generator is turned on during a visit to your doctor's office a few weeks after surgery.

Then it can be programmed to deliver electrical impulses to the vagus nerve at various durations, frequencies and currents. Vagus nerve stimulation usually starts at a low level and is gradually increased, depending on your symptoms and side effects. Stimulation is programmed to turn on and off in specific cycles — such as 30 seconds on, five minutes off.

You may have some tingling sensations or slight pain in your neck and temporary hoarseness when the nerve stimulation is on. The stimulator doesn't detect seizure activity or depression symptoms.

When it's turned on, the stimulator turns on and off at the intervals selected by your doctor. You can use a hand-held magnet to initiate stimulation at a different time, for example, if you sense an impending seizure. The magnet can also be used to temporarily turn off the vagus nerve stimulation, which may be necessary when you do certain activities such as public speaking, singing or exercising, or when you're eating if you have swallowing problems.

You'll need to visit your doctor periodically to make sure that the pulse generator is working correctly and that it hasn't shifted out of position. Check with your doctor before having any medical tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging MRI , which might interfere with your device. Implanted vagus nerve stimulation isn't a cure for epilepsy.

Most people with epilepsy won't stop having seizures or taking epilepsy medication altogether after the procedure. But many will have fewer seizures, up to 20 to 50 percent fewer. Seizure intensity may lessen as well.

It can take months or even a year or longer of stimulation before you notice any significant reduction in seizures. Vagus nerve stimulation may also shorten the recovery time after a seizure. People who've had vagus nerve stimulation to treat epilepsy may also experience improvements in mood and quality of life. See or contact: www.

What is VNS Therapy? A thin thread-like wire, attached to the generator, runs under the skin to the left vagus nerve in the neck. The implant procedure typically takes approximately one to two hours. Although the VNS Therapy surgical procedure does not involve the brain, stimulation of the left vagus nerve has been shown to induce widespread bilateral effects in areas of the brain implicated in seizures and mood disorders and responsible for modulation of key neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine.

Using an external dose adjustment system, physicians can adjust the stimulation duration, frequency and intensity.

Indications for VNS Therapy VNS vagus nerve stimulation Therapy is FDA approved as an adjunctive, long-term treatment for chronic or recurrent depression for patients 18 year of age or older who are experiencing a major depressive episode and have not had an adequate response to four or more adequate antidepressant treatments.

VNS Therapy was previously approved in the U.