Following-up of curative effect of vagus nerve stimulation on intractable epilepsy (report of 62 cases)

Objective To explore the curative effect of vagus nerve stimulation(VNS) on intractable epilepsy.Methods The clinical data of 62 patients with intractable epilepsy,who were treated by VNS,were analyzed retrospectively.Of 62 patients,56 were followed up from 3 to 40 months,5 lost following-up and 1 who received VNS treatment for less than 2 months was not followed up.Results The following-up showed that of 56 patients,22(39.3%) belonged in MCHugh grade Ⅰ,16(28.6%) in grade Ⅱ,13(23.2%) in grade Ⅲ and 5(8.9%) in grades Ⅳ～Ⅴ.Seizure was totally controlled in 3 patients.Seizure frequence decreased by more than 50% in 38 patients.Conclusions VNS is a safe and effective method to treat the intractable epilepsy.VNS may make seizure frequency reduce over 50% in more than 60% patients with intractable epilepsy.The present results suggested that the curative effect is correlated with the stimulation parameter and duration.