Some children with epilepsy have dozens of seizures a day. Once only available for adults, it is currently able help control seizures in the smallest patients, too. Karina Rodriguez's bubbles may not last long, but these days, despite cold temperatures, the smile on her face does. Since the age of 5, Karina has experienced seizures that lasted as long as an hour. Today, the story is different.
Doctors attach the device to a nerve that goes to the brain.
When a seizure starts, the VNS sends out an electrical signal, stimulating the nerve and stopping the seizure. Neurosurgeon Hal Meltzer, M.D., says the results in children so far have been incredible. Some of the children we've implanted these devices into for the first time now can attend school. They're saying the mental retardation she has will be decreased if her seizures could decrease, in fact she could learn. Surgery to implant the VNS takes about two hours.