Connect
Will a dead Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) battery do me harm?
I have a dead VNS battery in my chest. I WILL NOT have the battery replaced. I must pay thousands of dollars for non surgical related fees because I am in an HMO.but I do not feel comfortable having a dead battery inside my body. I am afraid the corrosion of the battery will do something to my body. I wish I could pull the VNS out of my chest .
Of course my doctor says it will do no harm other than increase my seizures.. But is has not been beneficial in 21 years. Does anyone think a dead battery in ones body will do any harm? Please help calm my fears.
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Epilepsy & Seizures Support Group.
Connect
@lsittll I received my first VNS in 2001 I believe and my second one a few years ago , they replaced the VNS as well as the battery this one only lasted a few years. It did not help me while on and off im not doing well either. I feel the medication has helped me some. I am having problems with my seizures, sleeping , breathing, muscle spasms , eyesight, hot flashes , heart palpitations, dizziness and falling and their is more much more.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions@santosha I am not a fan of the VNS make sure you way all your options before getting it. Its permanent . Your health care gets limited. You no longer can have MRI'S if needed. I have needed MRI 's for the past 3 years and surgeons refuse to remove the leads to the Vagus Nerve. If this would have been explained to me better I would have never agreed to this procedure.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
4 Reactions@mayberrylife6785
Im now dealing with medical conditions that may have been caught if I was able to have a MRI.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@mayberrylife6785
Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us. I had no idea that having a VNS means you can no longer have MRIs. That's such an important consideration before deciding on a VNS!
Based on what @iamkendrajb and @lsittll shared earlier in this discussion, it sounds like VNS removal is actually possible. This made me curious, so I did a bit of searching and learned that while the device is meant to be permanent, it can be removed if needed. I came across this scientific article that might be helpful:
Vagus Nerve Stimulation Removal or Replacement Involving the Lead and the Electrode: Surgical Technique, Institutional Experience and Outcome - Pubmed
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28012885/
Have you had a chance to get a second or even third opinion about whether removing your VNS might be an option for you?
Chris
View Translation
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI’m still trying to get a first opinion from somebody who has the knowledge and expertise. Being from a small town (Silver City, NM) and far from anyone who might help me decide how to proceed makes it difficult. It’s impossible to talk with a knowledgeable doctor without making an appointment and traveling to his office. Even then he’s likely to refer me to someone else for another long, expensive, exhausting trip. We are considering a move to a city but at age 85, with leg and back pain during travel, this is not going to be easy.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions@kailingsh
The battery is well sealed and should never leak. But I would never say never. I don't trust the manufacturer as they supposedly withheld information from the FDA.
Jake
Neither Cyberonics, the psychiatrist who prescribed the VNS nor the ENT surgeon who implanted it told me about the complications involved in trying to get an MRI. I feel like suing all three, but that’s also too much to deal with.