A 10-month-old baby boy weighing only 5.5 kilos who suffers from epilepsy has undergone the implantation of a vagal-nerve stimulator (VNS) at the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya. The vagus nerve is one of the 12 cranial nerves that travel from the brain to rest of the body.
New lease of life for 10-month old
The pacemaker consists of a battery that is implanted under the left clavicle (collarbone) or in the armpit, as well as an electrode that is implanted on the left vagus nerve. The device sends a nerve impulse, stimulating the nerve and helping to suppress the abnormal electrical activity, thus reducing the frequency of seizures, as well as their length and intensity.
“Treatment with the pacemaker leads to an improvement in the quality of life, a significant reduction of the seizures or even their cessation, and in some cases also prevents life-threatening situations that could be caused if this were not implemented,” Abeshaus explained.
