Epilepsy affects more than 65 million people globally. Epilepsy patients can benefit from anti-seizure medication; however, a third of those affected suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy or refractory epilepsy. Epilepsy surgery yields good results and can control seizures; however, not all epilepsy foci are resectable. The remaining choice is alternative or palliative treatment for patients using neuromodulation devices which have been extensively studied. The most common and used of these devices for refractory epilepsy is vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). In this review, we aim to explore the literature regarding VNS locally in Saudi Arabia and compare it with international findings. An online research process was performed by searching for articles on scientific websites and databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Research Gate. Specific keywords including “VNS, Drug resistance, Epilepsy, Saudi Arabia, Management, Treatment, Surgery, Alternative” were used for the literature search. The discussion of this subject was done under specific titles. The use of VNS is mostly in focal refractory epilepsy, and it showed benefits in generalized epilepsy as well. The studies from Saudi Arabia are scarce; however, the published studies reported findings similar to that from developed countries.
Key words: Epilepsy, vagus nerve, drug resistance, stimulation.
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