ID: 222352 Vasospasm Secondary to Responsive Neurostimulator Placement: A Previously Unreported Complication

The Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) system is a therapy for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who are not candidates for surgical resection of a seizure focus. The system involves long-term implantation of subdural or depth lead connected to a neurostimulator that detects incipient epileptic activity and delivers stimulation to control seizure spread. The intra-cranial leads are implanted as close as possible to the epileptic focus or foci to optimize detection and therapeutic stimulation ability. As with other brain-machine interface systems, RNS systems are subject to hardware-related complications. As a relatively new therapy option, the adverse effects of long-term implantation are still being clarified. We present a case report of a patient that developed severe vasospasm after RNS implantation.