Impact of Vagus Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Drug-resistant Epilepsy on Patterns of Use and Cost of Health Care Services and Pharmacotherapy: Comparisons of the 24-Month Periods Before and After Implantation.

Our findings suggest that VNS is associated with decreased risk of hospitalization or ED visits (all cause and epilepsy related) during the 2-year period subsequent to implantation and may become cost-neutral within 2 years of implantation (vs continued medical management of DRE without VNS). Although expected outcomes were estimated based on the 24-month period before implantation, the degree to which they approximated what would have happened in the absence of VNS is unknowable. Further research is needed to better understand the extend and duration of the impact of VNS on seizure frequency and severity and health-related quality of life, including its performance among those with and without comorbid depression.