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Is it time to question your epilepsy treatment?

Studies show that medication alone can't fully control seizures for 1 in 3 people with epilepsy.

If you're still having seizures after trying two anti-seizure medications either on their own or in a combination, you could have drug-resistant epilepsy.

Find out if VNS Therapy™ is right for you

Find out if VNS Therapy® is right for you.

 

1 in 3

 

Could you have drug-resistant epilepsy?

You are not alone. There are approximately 23 million people in the world with drug-resistant epilepsy - that's 1 in 3 people with epilepsy and 200,000 in the UK! This type of epilepsy is also known as refractory epilepsy, hard-to-treat epilepsy, uncontrolled seizures or DRE. 

Studies have shown that adding more medications is not likely to fully control seizures for this type of epilepsy, so it needs a different approach. Treatment options for people with drug-resistant epilepsy, such as VNS Therapy™, work towards gaining long-term seizure control, decreasing seizure severity, minimising side effects and improving quality of life.

 

What is VNS Therapy™?

VNS Therapy™ is a neuromodulation treatment designed for people with drug-resistant epilepsy. It is recommended by the NICE guidelines (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) as an add-on therapy to reduce the frequency of seizures in children and adults with drug-resistant epilepsy who aren't suitable for resective surgery.

The main goals of VNS Therapy is to prevent seizures before they start and stop them if they do.

VNS Therapy™ has been used to treat more than 135,000 people, including 47,000 children with drug-resistant epilepsy worldwide!

Could it be right for you?

 

What are the benefits of VNS Therapy™?

Designed for more seizure-free moments, VNS Therapy™ has been shown to improve over time, helping to control seizures for years to come. In studies that compared the effects before and after being treated with VNS Therapy, people experienced:

Fewer-Seizures_2

Fewer seizures

Shorter seizures

Shorter seizures

Less-Severe-Seizures_1

Less severe seizures

Seizure-Recovery

Better recovery after seizures 

Mood

Improved mood, memory and alertness

hospital_1-2

Fewer emergency hospital visits

improved-quality-of-life_1

Quality of life improvements

Could VNS Therapy™ be right for you? Answer a few short questions to find out. 

Take the suitability assessment

 

How does VNS Therapy™ work?

VNS Therapy is delivered through a device that sends mild pulses (known as 'stimulation') to the left vagus nerve in the neck at regular intervals throughout the day in an effort to prevent seizures. 

VNS Therapy also tries to stop or shorten a seizure, or improve recovery after a seizure by delivering extra stimulation when it notices a sudden increase in heart rate (which may be associated with seizures). You can also prompt an extra stimulation with the VNS Therapy magnet.

A short surgical procedure under general anaesthetic lasting about 1-2 hours is required to implant the VNS Therapy System under the skin in your chest and neck.

 

 

vns-therapy-placement

 

How safe is VNS Therapy™?

VNS Therapy™ has been studied for more than 25 years and has proven to be a safe and effective way of treating drug-resistant epilepsy. It is safe to use with other medicines with none of the side effects typical of anti-seizure medications. 

The most common side effects of VNS Therapy are hoarseness, shortness of breath, sore throat and coughing. These side effects generally only occur during stimulation and usually decrease over time. The most common side effect of the VNS Therapy implant procedure is infection. Your epilepsy team can answer any questions you may have.

VNS Therapy™ has been used to treat more than 135,000 people with drug-resistant epilepsy worldwide.

Here's a handful of people in the UK who were excited to share their experiences of reduced seizures and improved quality of life with VNS Therapy™.

HarryHep

Harry - on VNS Therapy™ since 2016

"Since having VNS Therapy, we've had no emergency admissions at all" - Martina, Harry's mum.

OliviaHep

Olivia - on VNS Therapy™ since 2015

"The future is looking good for me, my epilepsy has calmed down - I don't look back on the past, I focus on the future."

HayleyHep-1

Hayley - on VNS Therapy™ since 2019

"Before, it felt like my limit was as far as my epilepsy would allow me to go. Now, I don't think I have a limit!"

Could VNS Therapy™ be right for you? Answer a few short questions to find out. 

Take the VNS Therapy™ Suitability Assessment to find out

What else is there to know?

How safe is VNS Therapy™?

VNS Therapy™ has been studied for more than 25 years and has proven to be a safe and effective way of treating drug-resistant epilepsy. It's an add-on therapy, meaning that it's safe to use alongside medication.

What happens after the surgery?

Most people go home the same day or the day following the procedure. Your doctor or epilepsy specialist nurse will schedule follow up appointments to program and fine-tune your stimulation settings.

Will VNS Therapy™ help me immediately?

The benefits of VNS Therapy™ aren't always seen right away. In fact, seizure activity may improve slowly over the first 2 years of treatment. Long-term results from clinical studies suggest that the effects of VNS Therapy are significant and last over time.

I have some more questions, where can I find further information?

You can find further information here: www.vnstherapy.co.uk/faqs

Ready to find out if VNS Therapy™ could be right for you?

Yes, I'm ready to find out

The VNS Therapy™ System is indicated for use as an adjunctive therapy in reducing the frequency of seizures in patients whose epileptic disorder is dominated by partial seizures (with or without secondary generalization) or generalized seizures that are refractory to seizure medications. For safety information: www.vnstherapy.co.uk/safety-information  Talk to your physician about warnings, precautions, side effects, and hazards. Ask about risks that you should know about as well as any other issues that might be appropriate to discuss, such as status epilepticus and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. 

 ©2023 LivaNova USA, Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of LivaNova Plc. All rights reserved. LivaNova® is a registered trademark of LivaNova USA, Inc. VNS Therapy™ is a trademark of LivaNova USA, Inc. EPI-2300301
 
EC Representative: LivaNova Belgium NV, Ikaroslaan 83, 1930 Zaventem, Belgium, Europe. Manufacturer: LivaNova USA Inc, 100 Cyberonics Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77058, USA.