What is VNS Therapy™?

VNS Therapy consists of electrical signals that are applied to the vagus nerve in the neck for transmission to the brain. Vagus means “wanderer” in Latin. The vagus nerve is appropriately named considering that it averages 22 inches in length in adults and wanders throughout the upper body. The vagus nerve is one of the primary communication lines from the major organs of the body to the brain. The vagus nerve has proven to be a good way to communicate with the brain because:

• There are few if any pain fibers in the vagus nerve.
• Over 80% of the electrical signals applied to the vagus nerve in the neck are sent upwards to the brain.
• The surgical procedure to attach the lead to the vagus nerve does not involve the brain. It is not brain surgery.

The VNS Therapy System delivers VNS Therapy in two ways. First, a doctor programs a 24-hour a day, 7-day a week "dose" of periodic stimulation. One such dose frequently used by physicians is 30 seconds of stimulation followed by a five-minute period of no stimulation. The stimulation is automatically delivered (the patient doesn’t have to "take" anything) until the physician reprograms the generator or the battery runs out.

The second way VNS Therapy is delivered is when a patient, a family member or a caregiver senses a seizure coming on and passes the magnet over the area in the chest where the generator is implanted to activate an extra, on-demand stimulation. The VNS Therapy magnets are easily carried on the body for fast and effortless accessibility.

Is VNS Therapy™ Right for Me?

The VNS Therapy PIQ (Patient Identification and Qualification) is available to help your physician determine if VNS Therapy is right for you. More than 20,000 patients have used this free service to date.

If you would like to know whether you could benefit from VNS Therapy, talk to your physician. It is good to know that most medical payers cover VNS Therapy. Consult our Case Managers by dialing, toll-free, 1-888-VNS-STIM to determine if you are covered for VNS Therapy. This service is absolutely free and available to anyone who is considering VNS Therapy.

VNS Therapy is not a cure for epilepsy and does not work for everyone. At two and three years after implant, half of the patients treated with VNS Therapy in the clinical trial had a 40% or better reduction in seizures. Currently, there is no way to determine which patients will respond to VNS Therapy or how quickly a patient may respond to therapy.

VNS Therapy™ Benefits

Some patients and physicians have reported benefits other than simple changes in seizure frequency. For some patients, VNS Therapy has resulted in one or more of the following benefits:

• Less severe or shorter seizures
• Improved post-ictal period
• Better mood
• Improved alertness
• Improved memory and cognition
• Fewer emergency room visits

Some physicians have successfully reduced the number and/or dosage levels of the antiepileptic drugs taken by some patients who have responded to VNS Therapy. Though some patients have reported these benefits, it has not been shown in a clinical trial setting that all patients consistently realize these benefits.

© Cyberonics, Inc. 2004