LAHORE – In a first, brain pacemakers or Vagus Nerve Stimulators (VNS) were implanted in two female patients to treat chronic epilepsy in successful surgeries.
Dr Asif Bashir, who is the Professor & Head Neurosurgery Unit PGMI/Ameer-ud-Din Medical College, Punjab Institute of Neurosciences (PINS) Lahore General Hospital, performed the both surgeries. Bashir is also associated with JFK Neurosciences Institute, New Jersey, USA.
A seven-year-old patient named Maryam belongs to Peshawar while 18-year-old Aneesha is resident of Karachi.
Both the patients were suffering from chronic epilepsy, which is called drug-resistant epilepsy or refractory epilepsy.
Dr Asif Bashir said that these surgeries have been conducting in the US for last 20 years. He urged the government to exempt the medical equipment used in surgery from tax in order to bring its cost down. Currently, the VNS surgery costs Rs2.5 million.
What is a brain pacemaker?
A brain pacemaker or a Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) prevents seizures by sending regular, mild pulses of electrical energy to the brain via the vagus nerve.
A stimulator which may be called a pacemaker for the brain is implanted under the skin in the chest of the patient, while a wire from the device is wound around the vagus nerve in the neck, according to Geo News.
With this treatment, the ratio of seizures in patients reduces to 50% or they stop completely, the Spanish specialist said.
VNS is a type of neuromodulation. It is designed to change how brain cells work by giving electrical stimulation to certain areas involved in seizures.
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