Safety Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to commonly asked questions about VNS Therapy™
VNS Therapy™ Safety FAQs
Before having any MRI performed — Call your doctor, so that your VNS Therapy™ System can be discussed with the MRI personnel.
In many cases an MRI can be performed safely under certain conditions. However, for a few other cases, surgery may be required to remove the VNS Therapy System prior to an MRI.
Before undergoing an MRI scan, the VNS system diagnostic information will be collected and the current turned off. The current will be turned on again after the scan is completed. Your doctor has access to detailed MRI-related information in the physician’s manual.
Before having any MRI performed — Call your doctor, so that your VNS Therapy™ System can be discussed with the MRI personnel.
Metal detectors should not affect the generator or be affected by it. As a precaution, however, move through them at a steady pace; do not linger in the area and stay at least 40 centimeters (16 inches) away from such equipment.
The generator can interfere with devices that operate in the 30 kHz to 100 kHz range. Hearing aids and transistor radios operate in this range. In theory, the generator could affect them, but no effects have yet been reported. No detailed testing has been done, so the effects are unknown.
The generator may affect other implanted medical devices, such as cardiac pacemakers and implantable defibrillators. Possible effects include sensing problems. These could lead to inappropriate responses from the generator.