1. What is VNS treatment method VNS refers to vagus nerve stimulation treatment, which is a kind of nerve conditioning treatment for epilepsy without opening the skull. It changes the previous treatment mode of craniotomy to remove the lesion. This method plays an active role in the treatment of refractory epilepsy that cannot be controlled by drugs. It improves the firing pattern of the brain by stimulating the vagus nerve on the left side of the body to play the role of controlling seizures. 2. How is VNS treatment different from craniotomy? Vagus nerve stimulation is very different from traditional epilepsy lesion excision. Traditional surgery requires identifying the site of the causative lesion and removing the causative lesion by craniotomy to achieve the purpose of treating epilepsy. However, in a large proportion of patients with refractory epilepsy, the site of the epileptogenic focus cannot be determined or there are multiple epileptogenic foci, making resection impossible. In recent years, it has been found that vagus nerve stimulation can reduce the number of seizures by stimulating the vagus nerve without precise localization of the epileptic foci and can even completely control epilepsy in some patients, which opens a new treatment pathway for patients with intractable epilepsy who cannot undergo resection surgery or have recurrence after resection. 3. What kind of patients are suitable for VNS surgery? VNS is suitable for the following types of patients: (1) those who cannot effectively control epilepsy after regular antiepileptic drug treatment; (2) those with multifocal or diffuse epileptic lesions or lesions that cannot be clearly localized; (3) those who cannot tolerate craniotomy, or have poor results after craniotomy; (4) those who cannot tolerate the side effects of antiepileptic drugs. 4.What kind of effect can VNS have after surgery? Vagus nerve stimulation can reduce the frequency and number of seizures, the duration and severity of seizures. As well as improve the patient’s quality of life and cognitive ability after surgery. The overall efficiency of VNS is comparable to that of craniotomy, about 70%, and the rest of the patients have different degrees of reduction. A small number of patients are not effective. However, compared with craniotomy, VNS is relatively less traumatic and the surgery is simpler, so it is easier for the majority of patients to accept. 5.What is the long-term effect of VNS? The long-term effect of vagus nerve stimulation is more stable, and its effectiveness increases with the duration of treatment to a certain extent, and the treatment effect will become better over time. The results are better in patients younger than 16 years of age. 6. Is the VNS procedure mature? To date, more than 80,000 patients have been treated with vagus nerve stimulation in 75 countries worldwide. Vagus nerve stimulation is recognized worldwide as the newest and most effective treatment for intractable epilepsy. 7. What is the cost of VNS surgery? The cost of equipment and surgery is about 180,000. The cost varies according to different examination needs and different patient conditions, and will be further reduced with the launch of domestic stimulators. 8.Can I stop taking medication after VNS surgery? It is basically not recommended to stop the medication at the beginning of the adjustment phase, depending on the improvement of the patient’s seizures. If the condition is completely controlled and lasts for a period of time, the medication can be reduced in sequence according to the expert’s advice. 9.Does the VNS procedure affect my normal life? The pulse generator and wires of VNS are implanted in the body, so after the wound heals, it basically does not affect normal life, such as swimming or bathing. 10.After implantation, is the length of the lead sufficient as the child’s body grows? Yes, the length of the VNS lead is about 43cm, and the implant is fixed in a loop to ensure normal growth and elastic stretch. Even in younger children, there is basically no need to worry about wire breakage as the height grows. 11. Will there be any obvious scars after the surgery? The scars on the neck will blend in with the horizontal folds of the neck and are basically invisible. The incisions on the chest will have the normal scars of surgical procedures, which will fade with time. 12.Will the implanted pulser bulge out after the surgery? No, unless the patient is particularly thin or a very thin child, there will be traces of the pulse generator on the outside of the chest, but for normal people, there will be no effect, and the chest will not have an obvious bulging condition. 13.Does VNS need to be adjusted after surgery? Yes, because each person has different adaptability and different parameters for the onset of effect, so it is necessary to adjust little by little in order to find the most suitable parameters for the patient. 14.How often should the parameters be adjusted? At the beginning, the parameters should be adjusted every 2-4 weeks, and after adjusting to a certain value, the parameters can be adjusted every 2-4 months according to the patient’s performance, and the parameters can be stabilized after good results. 15.How long is the service life of the device battery? The theoretical test data is 7-11 years, depending on the parameters of the device adjustment and different. 16.What are the disadvantages of VNS treatment? VNS treatment is currently recognized internationally as an effective treatment for refractory (intractable) epilepsy. Approximately 10,000 patients are treated with VNS in the United States each year (the cost is covered by health insurance). There are many patients with epilepsy in our country, and although there are many patients suitable for VNS treatment, few patients are currently receiving VNS treatment. A big reason, and the drawback of VNS treatment, is that it is expensive and many patients cannot afford the high cost. Therefore, it is recommended that parents or patients who are financially well off and give their patients a chance to improve their quality of life by considering this treatment after a formal evaluation, so that patients can be treated early and benefit from it. As to what degree of improvement can be achieved, it varies from person to person depending on the condition.