title: Self-inflicted vocal cord paralysis in patients with vagus nerve stimulators. Report of two cases.
abstract: Vagus nerve stimulation for treatment of epilepsy is considered safe; reports of severe complications are rare. The authors report on two developmentally disabled patients who experienced vocal cord paralysis weeks after placement of a vagus nerve stimulator. In both cases, traction injury to the vagus nerve resulting in vocal cord paralysis was caused by rotation of the pulse generator at the subclavicular pocket by the patient. Traumatic vagus nerve injury caused by patients tampering with their device has never been reported and may be analogous to a similar phenomenon reported for cardiac pacemakers in the literature. As the use of vagus nerve stimulation becomes widespread it is important to consider the potential for this adverse event.
authors: Department of Neurology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield 62794-9230, USA.
authors: James G
authors: JG
authors: Kalkanis
authors: Priya
authors: P
authors: Krishna
authors: Jose A
authors: JA
authors: Espinosa
authors: Dean K
authors: DK
authors: Naritoku
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006685:Hoarseness / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000009:adverse effects; D012652:Self Mutilation; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D061223:Vagus Nerve Injuries; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000209:etiology*