Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41526789›Full record

ArticleChild's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery2026

Outcomes of neurosurgery and otolaryngology team surgery for revision vagus nerve stimulation implantation surgery.

Aaliyah C Riccardi, Amber D Shaffer, Nana-Hawwa Abdul-Rahman, Caitlin Olson, Emily Harford, Evelyn Pan, Taylor J Abel, Amanda L Stapleton

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Article in Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Aaliyah C RiccardiDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Aclr822@gmail.com.
Amber D ShafferDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Nana-Hawwa Abdul-RahmanSchool of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Caitlin OlsonDepartment of Otolaryngology, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA.
Emily HarfordDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Evelyn PanDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Taylor J AbelDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Amanda L StapletonDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeVagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a well-established FDA-approved option for drug-resistant epilepsy. Injury to the vagus nerve can result in vocal cord immobility, which can lead to significant dysphagia and communication deficits. We hypothesized that neurosurgery-otolaryngology collaboration for revision VNS implantation would reduce postoperative complications compared to neurosurgery-only revision.

methodsA retrospective chart review was conducted on all consecutive patients who underwent VNS at a tertiary care children's hospital from 2005 to 2023. Details of the cases were collected, including the reason for surgery, composition of the surgical team, patient outcomes, and pre- and postoperative flexible laryngoscopy findings. Postoperative completion of laryngoscopy and prevalence of symptoms were compared using Fisher's exact test, α = 0.05.

resultsA total of 104 patients underwent VNS placement during the study period; 49/104 (47.1%) were male. ENT intraoperative involvement (NSY + ENT) occurred in 14/104 (13.5%) cases, all of which were revisions. ENT follow-up with flexible laryngoscopy was completed in 7/14 (50.0%) of revision NSY + ENT cases compared with 10/57 (17.5%) of revision cases performed by NSY alone (p = 0.03). None (0/14) of the NSY + ENT revision cases reported postoperative voice changes compared with 7/57 (12.3%) of those performed by NSY alone (p = 0.3). Cough was more common in NSY + ENT (4/14, 28.6% vs 4/57, 7.0%, p = 0.03), while the prevalence of significant pain was comparable between cohorts (2/14, 14.3% vs 2/57, 3.5%, p = 0.6). No difficulty swallowing was reported following revision in either cohort.

conclusionsENT involvement in VNS revisions could prevent common complications such as postoperative voice changes.

Indexed as

Drug Resistant EpilepsyNeurosurgeryNeurosurgical ProceduresOtolaryngologyReoperationVagus Nerve StimulationAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantMalePatient Care TeamPostoperative ComplicationsRetrospective StudiesCo-surgerySeizureSurgical outcomesVagus nerve stimulator

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PMID41526789

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.