Abstrakt
We performed a retrospective, multicenter, open-label study to evaluate the efficacy Of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in all patients in the Czech Republic who have received this treatment for at least 5 years (n = 90). The mean last follow-up was 6.6 +/- 1.1 years (79 +/- 13 months).
The median number of seizures among all patients decreased from 41.2 seizures/month in the prestimulation period to 14.9 seizures/month at 5 years follow-up visit. The mean percentage of seizure reduction was 55.9%.
The responder rate in these patients is in concordance with the decrease of overall seizure frequency. At 1 year after beginning the stimulation, 44.4% of patients were responders; this percentage increased to 58.7% after 2 years.
At the 5 years last follow-up 64.4% of patients were responders, 15.5% experienced >= 90% seizure reduction, and 5.5% were seizure-free. A separate analysis of patients younger than 16 years of age showed lower efficacy rates of VNS in comparison to the whole group.
Complications and chronic adverse effects occurred in 13.3% of patients. VNS is an effective and safe method to refractory epilepsy in common clinical practice.