Vagus Nerve Stimulation or Deep Brain Stimulation for Depression?

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I'd love to learn more about vagus nerve / deep brain stimulation too - thanks & hope others with real experience come forward.

I tried to get approved for dTMS (deep transcranial magnetic stimulation). While the insurance the company told my husband they'd cover it, I was denied when they decided that one of the many antidepressants didn't fit into their very narrow lists of prereqs.

Unfortunately, all of the drugs the insurance company wants me to rake are contra-indicated by my heart.

The TMS place I went to dropped me like a hot potato. I wonder if they are more about sales than actual cures.

I'm working on paying out-of-pocket for IV ketamine treatment. The results are, according to my shrink, more reliable. She thinks TMS is "not yet ready for prime time." Cleveland Clinic (I think she said) is working on better targeting and, if I recall correctly, hitting success rates in the 90s (please double check if you're acting on anything I say... too many Rxs have messed with my memory); right now, where I live, it's only about 50/50, so I wonder where all those stray impulses land in your brain, and what effect does it cause? I don't know.

Anyway,that's my limited experience. The way I was so quickly dropped after insurance denial (was cold-hand off to admit assistant), I have to wonder how many are simply taking advantage of a money-making moment. I know I felt really awful when I was suddenly ignored.

I tried TMS and it didn't do anything for me. I was getting ketamine infusions and it was a total game changer..no suicidal ideation, depression, I was joyful and had hope. I was motivated and able to keep up my hygiene and my apartment. Unfortunately, the clinic stopped doing it by infusion and only did it by injection and it didn't help. So far I've been unable to find a clinic that covers ketamine infusion with insurance. I'm on SSDI and only work part time, so I can't afford to pay out of pocket. I live alone and do not have any other support. My diagnosis is Severe Treatment Resistant Major Depression and Severe Insomnia. I have tried all of the meds, gained over 250 pounds being on Abilify. I have tried ECT and Spravato... the only thing that helped was the ketamine infusion. I can't even find a neurologist or neuropsychiatrist who will do the Vagus Nerve Stimulation or Deep Brain Stimulation for depression. I'm totally stuck.