Vagus Nerve Stimulation therapy gives man new outlook in his battle

Stanley Shoemaker spent years battling both depression and unrelenting seizures.

It wasn't until after a stroke about five years ago when Shoemaker began suffering from seizures. Within days of the first seizure they occurred more frequently and became more severe. A neurologist prescribed various anti-seizure medications but none of them worked and his seizures only grew in intensity and frequency.

The VNS device before implantation

In January 2006 he suffered a seizure that wiped out about three years of his memory. I didn't know my grandchildren's names,” Shoemaker said. “Before they would come over I would have to play a tape my daughter made so I could remember their names, it was really sad.”

At that point Shoemaker and his wife, Melody sought out the advice and care of Dr. Sudhir Batchu with the Columbia Center for Neurology and Multiple Sclerosis.

Batchu ran some additional MRI tests that showed the severity of Shoemaker's seizures. He was also diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer's.

It was then that Batchu recommended Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy (VNS) to treat the seizures.

While battling the sometimes daily seizures Shoemaker also suffered from unrelenting depression. A disease that has plagued his family.

While he was taking anti-depressants he still considered suicide daily. “Sometimes I would pull over to the side of the road shaking because all I could think of was killing myself while I was driving,” Shoemaker said.

With VNS appearing as a last resort option to treat both his seizures and depression in April 2006 he was implanted with the VNS device.

The device is implanted in the left side of the chest with a wire that wraps around the vagus nerve in the neck.

The surgery to implant the device lasts only 30 to 45 minutes and is non-invasive. After about an hour or two of observation the patient is sent home.

Two weeks later, after the swelling from surgery goes down, the generator in the device is turned on.

“All other options are exhausted before we consider VNS Therapy for a patient,” Batchu said. “The device is expensive but when looking at it long term it is very cost effective. If you consider emergency room visits, medications and hospitalizations it is very cost effective.”

Batchu said the device costs about $15,000 to $20,000. Most insurance companies do cover the device.

Nearly a year after the surgery Shoemaker says he feels 99.9 times better. “I am okay now. Everyone would like to have a miracle cure but right now I am not even having one seizure a month and before I would have two or three a day,” he said.

“Nothing will ever stop all of the seizures, but I have a lot fewer seizures than I did and I am not depressed at all,” Shoemaker said.

Clinical studies have confirmed that the VNS treatment improves the patients quality of life over time and is sustained long term.

After one year of treatment using VNS one in three have experienced significant mood improvement. Even many people who did not respond to VNS immediately saw improvement overtime.

Many experienced improvement in various areas affecting their quality of life. After nine months of VNS therapy an increase in energy, willingness to interact with fiends and family, better function at work and more positive feelings were all reported.

To stop a seizure in it's track literally, Shoemaker says he waves a magnet, which he as with his at all times, across his chest and the seizure stops.

Batchu said the device sends a signal to the brain and reduces blood flow to the part of the brain where the seizures are occurring and when the magnet is used even more blood flow is restricted.

Shoemaker's device is timed to be on for one minute and off for the next. “The way I understand it is that if the seizures increase or decrease the device can be adjusted - it trains your whole nervous system,” he said.

The worst side affect Shoemaker has is that his voice is raspy, which prevents him from singing, which he loves to do. “If I could never sing again but feel as good as I do now then I just won't sing,” Shoemaker said.

Since beginning VNS therapy Shoemaker says he is like a whole new person. He can now play a guitar again, enjoys seeing and spending time with his family. He even got to go hunting again.

“All I can tell you is what VNS has done for me and it is the difference between night and day,” Shoemaker said. “I was asleep and now I am awake and happy to be.”

Stanley Shoemaker feels 99.9 times better after the VNS treatment reduced his seizures from two or three a day to not even one a month.