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Advanced implanted therapy for chronic or recurrent depression from a team specializing in complex mood disorders.
If you’ve tried multiple treatments for depression and haven’t found enough relief, you may still have options. Vagus nerve stimulation, or VNS, is an implanted therapy designed for adults with chronic, recurrent or difficult-to-treat depression. It works differently from anything you may have tried before.
VNS therapy uses an implanted device that stimulates your vagus nerve to help improve depressive symptoms. The device sends mild electrical pulses through a wire connected to the vagus nerve in your neck.
At Keck Medicine of USC, our USC Neuromodulation Program team will take the time to understand your full history. We’ll help you figure out whether VNS, or another advanced treatment option, is the right next step for you.
VNS is a treatment option for adults 18 and older who have chronic or recurring depression. It may be used if you are currently experiencing a serious episode of depression and have tried at least four different antidepressant medications that did not help enough.
Before starting VNS therapy, you will be thoroughly evaluated to determine whether the treatment is a good fit. Treatment itself involves a one-time outpatient procedure. The procedure usually takes about one to two hours, during which time you’ll be asleep under general anesthesia. After the procedure, most people go home the same day. From then on, the device works all the time, 24/7, to provide treatment for years to come.
The most common side effects of VNS therapy include a hoarse or changed voice, tingling of the skin, sore throat, shortness of breath and coughing. Most people are able to tolerate these side effects, which often become less noticeable over time. Another possible side effect is an infection following the implant procedure. Your care team will review the risks associated with your diagnosis during your evaluation.
We help you determine whether VNS therapy is the right next step for your specific situation.
Our psychiatry team has specialty experience in complex, difficult-to-treat depression.
We offer coordinated support before treatment, after implantation and through long-term follow-up.
As an academic psychiatry program, we are focused on advanced neuromodulation.
Our program is easy to access, with a minimal wait for evaluation and treatment.
You have access to ongoing clinical trials, including VNS-related research when appropriate.
