Vagus nerve stimulators used by epilepsy patients whose seizures are not controlled by drugs come with the burden of periodically replacing an implanted battery. The Chosun Ilbo on the 22nd looked at efforts to ease it.
The Chosun Ilbo ran a piece on the 22nd headlined, in translation, ‘The hope of epilepsy patients who spend tens of millions of won every three years replacing a battery inside the body’. We could not open the article text, so the cost breakdown and details of the technology or company involved are unconfirmed.
광고 문의 · 300×250Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) involves implanting a stimulator near the vagus nerve in the neck and using electrical pulses to reduce the frequency and intensity of seizures. According to WOW TV, it is for patients whose seizures continue despite two or more drugs, roughly 30% of all epilepsy patients.
A new version this year
In the same report, a pediatric neurologist said the newest model introduced in Korea this year adjusts stimulation to a patient's seizure pattern and can stimulate in advance using the slight rise in heart rate before a seizure. After surgery, stimulation is raised gradually over two to four months. About 40 procedures with the newest model had been done in Korea as of April.
That report did not cover battery life, replacement cost or insurance coverage. The figures ‘three years’ and ‘tens of millions of won’ therefore rest on the Chosun Ilbo headline, and actual device lifespans and out-of-pocket costs are not independently confirmed. Treatment choices should be discussed with a specialist.