Safety Alert - VNS & Diathermy
Cyberonics, manufacturer of the NCP® System vagus nerve stimulation implant, issued a safety warning in August 2001 to users of the device:
persons with a VNS implant should not have any type of diathermy treatment.
Diathermy — whether short-wave diathermy, microwave diathermy, or therapeutic ultrasound diathermy — "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 health care providers and may be referred to as 'deep heat'. This therapy may also be used in ways that provide little to no heat or during certain surgical procedures."
Diathermy is not used to treat seizures.
Diathermy "may cause the implant to heat up, causing pain and temporary or permanent damage to surrounding nerves and tissue. Such effects are potentially dangerous and may include loss of vocal cord function, or even death, if veins or arteries in the neck are damaged. Diathermy treatments may also affect the functioning of the implanted NCP system."
"Application of diathermy treatment anywhere in the body, not just where the implant is located, may cause damage. The risk exists whether or not the treatment is used to deliver heat or no heat, and whether or not the VNS device is on and delivering electrical stimulation, or off and not delivering stimulation."
"The safety alert, while emphasizing the serious effects that might occur as a result of a VNS user being exposed to diathermy in any form, also noted that Cyberonics had not received any reports of diathermy injury to VNS patients. Still, the potential for injury exists and should at all costs be avoided."
Anyone with a VNS implant must "be sure to show their Cyberonics-supplied identification card to all doctors, dentists, nurses, physical or sports therapists, rehabilitation providers, chiropractors, or any professional providing treatment of any kind. Let them know about the device, and where it is located on the body. Give them the name of the doctor who is caring for the vagus nerve stimulator or the company's clinical/technical support telephone number."
Source
http://www.efa.org/epusa/diathermy.html
