Shreveport hospital is the first in North Louisiana to offer new way to reduce seizures
A group of medical professionals have pioneered the path to reducing epileptic seizures in North Louisiana. In late July, a medical team from Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport performed their first implantation of responsive neurostimulation (RNS) device.
This device is designed to reduce epileptic seizures in patients. Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Neurosurgeon Dr. Jamie Toms implanted the NeuroPace RNS System on a 23-year-old woman suffering from daily epileptic seizures for the last five years.
Since the implantation, doctors say the patient has not suffered a seizure.
How does this RNS device work?
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Through a small hole in the skull, electrodes as well as a small pacemaker device are placed in the part of the brain causing the seizures. When the RNS system detects an oncoming seizure, it sends an impulse to that part of the brain to stop it.
The RNS System typically cuts seizure occurrence in half. Doctors are also able to use this system to receive brain wave activity reports via Bluetooth, so they can monitor a patient.
The patient who received this device in late July underwent a series of tests, including a video electroencephalogram (EEG), to determine which area of her brain was causing the seizures.
The groundwork laid by these medical professionals have allowed patients in North Louisiana to remain in town rather than traveling to to Dallas, New Orleans, Little Rock or Birmingham to have this type of procedure.
Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport is the only Level 4 Epilepsy Center in North Louisiana, and bring with them state-of-the-art therapies for brain health including laser therapy, resection surgery, vagal nerve stimulation, deep brain stimulation stereo-electroencephalography, invasive monitoring and video electroencephalography.
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Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport hospital is the first to offer RNS in North Louisiana
