These pages are about surgery in the UK. If you are looking for information about driving laws in another country, please contact your local epilepsy organisation.
If a child is not suitable for epilepsy brain surgery, they may be considered for other types of surgery.
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy uses a small generator that is implanted under the skin below the left collarbone. This is connected to a lead with two coils at one end. These coils are wrapped around the vagus nerve in the left side of the neck, under the skin, during a small operation.
Epilepsy Action has more information about VNS
Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
This surgery involves having a DBS system fitted. The DBS system has three parts.
- A lead – this is a thin, insulated wire. It is inserted through a small opening in the skull. It is placed in the part of the brain where seizures happen.
- An extension – this insulated wire is passed under the skin of the head, neck, and shoulder. It connects the lead to the neurostimulator.
- A neurostimulator – this is a small device, similar to a heart pacemaker. It is usually placed under the skin near the collarbone, lower in the chest, or under the skin of the stomach.
DBS will only be considered for those children who can’t have their seizures controlled by epilepsy medicines, the ketogenic diet or other types of epilepsy surgery. The ketogenic diet is a special high fat diet that helps to control some children’s seizures.
More information about DBS for epilepsy is available on the NICE website
Epilepsy Action has more information about the ketogenic diet
We can provide references and information on the source material we use to write our epilepsy advice and information pages. Please contact our Epilepsy Helpline by email at helpline@epilepsy.org.uk.
Acknowledgement
Epilepsy Action wishes to thank Dr Richard Appleton, consultant paediatric neurologist at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, UK, for help in reviewing this information.
This information has been produced under the terms of The Information Standard.
There are no comments yet. Be the first to comment...