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By Mayo Clinic staff
During the surgery
Surgery to implant the vagus nerve stimulation device is done either on an outpatient basis, allowing you go to home that same day, or on an inpatient basis, requiring an overnight stay in the hospital. The surgery usually takes one to two hours. It may be done under local or general anesthesia. The FDA recommends that the surgery be done by a neurosurgeon with expertise in implanting the device.
The surgery doesn't involve your brain. The pulse generator is surgically implanted in the upper left side of your chest. The device is meant to be a permanent implant, but it can be removed if necessary. The pulse generator is about the size of a stopwatch and runs on battery power. A lead wire is connected to the pulse generator. The lead wire is guided under your skin from your chest up to your neck, where it's attached to the left vagus nerve through a second incision.
After the procedure
The pulse generator is activated during a visit to your doctor's office a few weeks after surgery. The pulse generator can be programmed to deliver electrical impulses to the vagus nerve at various durations, frequencies and currents. Vagus nerve stimulation usually starts at a low level and gradually increases, depending on your symptoms and side effects.
Stimulation typically lasts for 30 seconds and occurs every five minutes. You may have some tingling sensations or slight pain in your neck during episodes of nerve stimulation.
You are given a hand-held magnetic device so that you can control the stimulation yourself at home. This enables you to temporarily turn off the vagus nerve stimulation, which may be necessary when you engage in such activities as public speaking, singing or exercising, or when you're eating if you have swallowing problems.
You must visit your doctor periodically to make sure that the pulse generator is working correctly and that it hasn't shifted out of position.
