Vagus nerve stimulation is a type of surgery for poorly controlled seizures, but does not involve surgery on the brain. A small pacemaker-like device is placed under the skin, and periodically stimulates a nerve (the vagus) in the side of the neck with a small amount of electrical current. This process reduces seizure frequency and severity. The vagus nerve serves as one of many highways of information carrying messages to and from the brain. Nerve fibers in the vagus nerve relay information from the body's organs (such as the stomach and heart) to the brain. The vagus nerve has many connections to areas in the brain instrumental in producing seizures.

　　　Research in animal models suggested that stimulation or electrical activation of the vagus nerve can disrupt the abnormal brain activity responsible for seizures. By stimulating the vagus nerve, the brain's potential to generate or spread abnormal seizure activity can be reduced.These important findings led researchers to create a small, implanted device which would provide stimulation of the vagus nerve on a regular, programmed basis - with the aim of reducing seizure frequency and severity.

　　　A device, approximately the size of a small tape measure, is implanted under the skin in the upper left chest area. This device, known as the generator, functions as the "pacemaker". A connecting wire, also implanted under the skin, connects this "pacemaker" with the vagus nerve, by delicate leads which are carefully attached to
the vagus nerve on the left side of the neck.

　　　The operation to implant a vagal nerve stimulator takes approximately two hours. Over the next two days, the vagal nerve stimulator is programmed to automatically deliver stimulation on a regular, frequent basis, usually every few minutes, around the
clock. All vagus nerve stimulators are produced by Cyberonics, Inc. After extensive clinical trials, vagus nerve stimulation is now FDA approved, and available at specialized epilepsy centers such as ours. The Shenzhen Children's Hospital Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at the China Medical University is one of the most active and experienced centers with VNS treatment China.