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Comparative Study
. 2006 Jul;135(1):46-51.
doi: 10.1016/j.otohns.2006.02.037.

Vagal nerve stimulator implantation: an otolaryngologist's perspective

Tamer Ghanem  1 , Stephen V Early
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Vagal nerve stimulator implantation: an otolaryngologist's perspective

Tamer Ghanem et al. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2006 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to compare an otolaryngologist's experience with a cohort of epilepsy patients implanted with a vagal nerve stimulator (VNS) to previously published data.

Methods: Demographics, preoperative seizure frequency, medications, and complications were retrospectively collected from patients implanted by the senior author. Postoperative medications and seizure frequency were obtained from referring neurologists.

Results: Seventeen patients were implanted over a 24-month period. Average age was 28.3 years. Patients presented with petit mal (n = 3), tonic-clonic (n = 6), complex partial (n = 5), and grand mal (n = 8) seizures. Mean follow-up postimplantation was 13.5 months. Most patients had at least a 50% reduction of seizure frequency, with 3 patients being seizure free. There were no postoperative infections. One patient had left vocal cord immobility. The most common side effect was voice disturbance during device activation.

Conclusion: Otolaryngologists are well equipped to perform VNS implantation and to diagnose and treat possible laryngeal side effects.

Ebm rating: C-4.

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