Manipal Hospital Baner doctors perform Rare Vagus Nerve Stimulation Surgery on 9-year-old boy

Pune: Doctors at Manipal Hospitals Baner have successfully performed Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) Surgery on 9-year-old boy from Bengaluru.

For the last five years, boy had been suffering from drug resistant multi focal epilepsy. The child's speech, movement, and cognitive brain function were all affected by the daily recurrent seizures that he had despite taking several medications. He had developed epileptic encephalopathy and had regression of milestones.

This child underwent Video EEG monitoring at our hospital to define multifocality of seizures. Dr Mudassar Epileptologist and neurologist confirmed the continuous electrical discharges from both sides of brain suggesting diagnosis of epileptic encephalopathy. The case was extensively discussed in comprehensive epilepsy surgery meet and final decision was taken for VNS after discussing Pros and cons with the parents.

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In this case, Dr Amit Dhakoji, Head of the Department and Consultant – Epilepsy Neurosurgeon decided to opt for VNS over any other surgical interventions such as corpus callosotomy. In VNS, a wire connects a tiny pulse generator (battery) to the Vagus nerve in the neck, which is positioned in the left upper chest. The electrical currents that come from the device are mild and are sent at predefined intervals to assist minimize the intensity and frequency of seizures.

It can adjust the generator's stimulation during this recuperation period by using the automated or magnetic modes, or it can set it to activate every few minutes throughout the active interval.

Speaking about the case, Dr. Amit Dhakoji, Head of the Department and Consultant – Neurosurgeon with experience of over 500 Epilepsy surgery cases, Manipal Hospitals Baner Pune, Said, “This child's development started to decline and his seizures were still uncontrolled despite numerous medications. While VNS won't cure epilepsy, it can improve stability, delay neuronal deterioration, and significantly lessen the burden of seizures.

He will have his device settings changed every two weeks for three months after surgery. We will constantly keep an eye on him for the highest level of stimulation, and the VNS battery should be updated around every five years. With fewer episodes, this child has already shown early signs of improvement.”

Speaking about the case, Mr. Anand Mote, Cluster Director, Manipal Hospitals Pune, said: “Manipal Institute of Neuro Sciences (NINS) remains focused on timely and effective treatment for all patients. Our commitment to cutting-edge medical innovation, teamwork, and providing outstanding outcomes for patients can be seen by this successful case in point”

The surgery was successfully performed by Dr. Amit Dhakoji and his neurosurgical team. Manipal Hospital Baner has a dedicated team for managing epilepsy.

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