The FDA has approved a vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) system for treating kids with refractory epilepsy as young as age 4, .
It's indicated for children with partial-onset seizures who are refractory to antiepileptic drugs, according to the company release.
The "VNS Therapy" implant system, as it's called, was previously approved for children ages 12 and up. Now, LivaNova says theirs is the first and only device that's FDA approved for drug-resistant epilepsy in this younger pediatric population. The device is inserted in the chest via a 1-hour outpatient procedure, according to the firm, with leads delivering regular pulses to the vagus nerve.