Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee Recommendations:

• The Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee recommends the use of vagus nerve stimulation for children and adults with drug-resistant epilepsy who are not candidates for surgical resection, provisional on the following:
  • Vagus nerve stimulation is incorporated into the Provincial Strategy for Epilepsy Care
  • Appropriate criteria for using vagus nerve stimulation are established
  • Outcomes of vagus nerve stimulation procedures are tracked prospectively
  • The use of vagus nerve stimulation is limited to institutions with demonstrated expertise
• While the initial evidence on deep brain stimulation is promising, there is insufficient evidence for the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee to make a recommendation on the use of deep brain stimulation in adults or children with drug-resistant epilepsy at this time.