Aurora BioScience Neurology

VNS Therapy for Pharmacoresistant Epilepsy

 

Epilepsy and VNS Therapy

 

 

What is Difficult-to-Control Epilepsy?

 

Some neurologists agree that if you cannot gain seizure freedom after trying two or three different medications, there is little chance that further medications will give you freedom from seizures and you suffer from difficult-to-control epilepsy. Most doctors also refer to it as "refractory" or "pharmacoresistant" epilepsy. However, there are other treatment options open for you.

 

 

What are the Treatment Options?

 

The goal of any epilepsy treatment in people with difficult-to-control epilepsy is to maximise their quality of life by providing the best possible seizure control, with as few side effects as possible. As a person with epilepsy, you have a choice of treatments available to help you achieve this goal.

Only you and your neurologist can decide whether you have tried enough medications in your attempt to achieve adequate seizure control or seizure freedom, or whether you have given sufficient consideration to options such as brain surgery or the ketogenic diet or whether now is the time to look at VNS Therapy.
 

 

What is VNS Therapy?

 

VNS Therapy is an adjunctive therapy, which means it is used together with another therapy, usually medication. It can reduce the frequency of seizures in children, adolescents and adults who suffer from partial onset seizures, with or without secondary generalisation, or have generalised seizures that are refractory to antiepileptic medications.

VNS Therapy delivers stimulation via a small medical device implanted just under the skin in the left chest area. The pacemaker-like device sends mild, intermittent electrical impulses through a lead to the left vagus nerve, which then sends signals to the brain.¹ It prevents seizures by sending regular, tiny pulses of electrical energy every few minutes through the vagus nerve to your brain. Each device is programmed for the individual patient, and the patient has the ability to initiate or abort stimulation with the use of a hand-held magnet.

 

VNS Therapy has been proven in clinical studies to provide safe and effective control of seizures for many patients and has minimal side effects. It has been shown to reduce the number and intensity of seizures in many patients and, in some cases, completely eliminate seizures. Many people with VNS Therapy report a significant improvement in their quality of life. Studies show that the positive effects of VNS Therapy typically do not wear off; in fact, they may improve over time.

VNS Therapy is not a cure for epilepsy and does not work for everyone.
 

 

VNS Therapy in Australia and New Zealand

 

In Australia and New Zealand, Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) Therapy is indicated for use as an adjunctive therapy in reducing the frequency of seizures in patients whose epileptic disorder is dominated by partial seizures (with or without secondary generalisation) or generalised seizures, which are refractory to antiepileptic medication.¹