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Surgery vagus nerve stimulation, a last desperate attempt to control seizures, stirs up a controversy between those who have implanted the device. Many patients love the relief from uncontrollable seizures. However, many other patients hate the side effects caused by the operation and development.
Up to 70 percent of people who had their attacks controlled with prescription medications. For the remaining 30 percent of the surgery may be an option. Epilepsy surgery has several variants;Temporal lobe resection, extratemporal cortical resection, and corpus callosum section.
Besides this radical surgery, or surgery vagus stimulation of the vagal nerve (VNS) implant VNS pulse generator under the skin of the chest in a pocket surgery. The electrode and tunnel subcutaneously from an incision of the cervix. The VNS uses electrical impulses to the vagus nerve in the neck, and delivered to the brain travel. The vagus nerve has very few pain receptors, and thus providesa good way to provide signals to the brain.
Nobody knows why VNS reduces seizures. Proponents believe that VNS may reduce the persistent changes in brain chemistry that causes excitatory amino acids and / or increasing the levels of inhibition. Patients reported that VNS reduces the number, duration and severity of attacks, and the length of recovery time after the crisis. Some reports of quality of life. "It 'been almost three years since my VNS, and the only thing I changed is thatI've had for ten years before me. "
However, one important thing the doctors tell you, until you have a VNS implant surgery in a forgotten $ 23,000: If you have a heart attack, can not be treated with an automated external defibrillator (AED). Can not receive patients with VNS, used emergency treatment with electric charges to restore the normal heart rhythm, patients in cardiac arrest.
Copyright © 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.
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