Implantation of a pacemaker against depression (Rambam Medical College)
There are countless Israelis who suffer from depression, and many of them are required to take medication on a daily basis in order to lead a normal life.
In most cases, these drugs help a lot, but studies show that about 30 percent of these patients do not respond to drugs or any other accepted treatment, and therefore suffer severe impairment of function and quality of life, and are even at increased risk of suicide.
But a new treatment may offer new hope for them.
At the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, a Vagal Pacemaker Implantation (VNS - which stands for Vagus Nerve Stimulation) surgery was recently performed - treatment by stimulating the left vagus nerve in the neck area. This nerve is one of the main ways of communication between the body and the brain, and by creating electrical pulses transmitted from the pacemaker Directly to the nerve by tiny electrodes, there is an inspiration of electrical activity, which creates changes in the connectivity between different areas and helps significantly reduce the symptoms of depression. VNS is widely accepted as a treatment for those suffering from resistant epilepsy, but its use for those suffering from depression is new news.
"The suffering the patient has been dealing with until today has decreased significantly"
Dr. Lior Lev-Tov, a senior physician in the Department of Neurosurgery, implanted an advanced and innovative pacemaker of the VNS type in a patient who for a long time did not respond to conventional psychiatric treatment lines and had to deal with severe and complex depression symptoms for her, and this after several suicide attempts. "This is an effective treatment with A high safety profile and recognized in the Western world, which allows us to regain control of the patient's life, along with an improvement in the quality of life with a clear rehabilitation profile," Lev-Tov explained, "It is important to understand that this type of treatment allows for a growing and lasting effect over time.
Although the results are not immediate, the suffering the patient has been dealing with until today decreases significantly and gradually restores her quality of life."
Dr. Lev-Tov added that "from our point of view, this is a holiday, as it allows all residents of northern Israel to receive advanced treatments for psychiatric patients, to deal with incurable diseases with a large rehabilitation profile.
It is important to understand that these are patients who have suffered until today.
Today we at Rambam can put at their disposal the most advanced tools in the world to give them back the quality of life they have lost until today."
"A decade from now, the psychiatric wards will be completely different from what we know, so is the profile and basket of treatments expected to change," said Dr. Lev-Tov. We will be able to treat the diseased circuits in the brain in a targeted manner and solve symptoms that have had no answer until now, such as depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, all while minimizing side effects."
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