A tiny implantable device that aims to treat depression patients has started gaining some acceptance months after the federal government approved its used, the manufacturer said.
The Vagus Nerve Stimulator delivers mild electrical pulses every 5 minutes to the vagus nerve, which carries information to parts of the brain that control mood, sleep and other functions.
An increasing number of psychiatrists and surgeons were receiving training to use the stimulator devised by Houston-based Cyberonics. More than 2,000 psychiatrists and 250 surgeons were trained for the therapy during the quarter that ended Oct. 28, said chief executive and president Robert "Skip" Cummins.
"I think it has started out a bit slowly. But the average psychiatrist, I think, is excited to have something that is a new possible treatment," said Dr. Thomas Schwartz, assistant professor of psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y, one of 20 sites that participated in study of the device.
More insurance companies were agreeing to reimburse patients for the cost of the device. By early December, 62 insurance providers had agreed to pay for costs associated with the therapy.
This is a novel approach to the treatment of depression. It uses an implantable device to stimulate the vagus nerve, similar to what is occasionally done in epilepsy patients. You can visit the manufacturer's website for further information.
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