What are the hazards, if any, of other kinds of medical treatment or tests when someone has a VNS implant?
There are some important safety issues associated with other types of treatment that people with VNS implants should be aware of. People with the VNS implant should not have any kind of diathermy (sometimes called deep heat) treatment because it may cause the implant to heat up and damage nerves and tissue. Short wave diathermy, microwave diathermy or therapeutic ultrasound diathermy are all types of treatment that should not be used. Cyberonics, the company that manufactures the VNS system, emphasizes that, while it’s not aware of any injury from diathermy use, there is a significant risk that all patients should be aware of. Diathermy is not used as a treatment for seizures. It aims to promote healing by heating deep muscular tissues with high-frequency electrical currents. It is commonly used to relieve pain, stiffness and muscle spasms, reduce joint contractures, reduce swelling and pain after surgery, or to promote wound healing. Diathermy treatments may be used by many different
