Hardware failure in vagus nerve stimulation therapy.
A 20 year old male patient who had been successfully treated for epilepsy with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for 7 years (50% seizure frequency reduction), had experienced multiple episodes of severe hoarseness, throat pain and impaired breathing during physical exercise. As malfunctioning of the pulse generator was suspected, it was decided to replace the device. During surgery, the pulse generator was found to have broken in two, due to an unstable connection between the battery subunit and the connector subunit. With a new pulse generator seizure frequency reduction was restored. No side effects occurred.
Rijkers
K
K
Department of Neurosurgery, Maastricht University Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands. kimrijkers@gmail.com
Berfelo
M W
MW
Cornips
E M J
EM
Majoie
H J M
HJ
D000328:Adult; D020878:Device Removal; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004831:Epilepsies, Myoclonic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016139:Martial Arts / Q000293:injuries; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000150:complications; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications