Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS) Program The Vagal Nerve
Stimulation (VNS) Program is coordinated through Children’s
Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Program (CPEP), one of the
largest of its kind in the country. Because every patient is
unique, so too is the care they receive from our specialists. We
work with patients and families to identify the most appropriate
treatment, which at times means considering alternatives to
conventional medications and therapies. How Vagal Nerve
Stimulation Helps Patients Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS) is an
alternative for children whose seizures are not well-controlled
with medications and who are not candidates for a brain
operation to eliminate seizures. VNS attempts to control
seizures by sending small pulses of current to the brain from
the vagus nerve, which is a large nerve that runs from the
brain, through the neck and chest to the abdomen. This is done
by surgically placing a small battery under the chest muscles
and above the chest wall. Small wires are then attached t