Download or read book Out of the Black Hole written by Charles E. Donovan and published by Wellness Publishers,L.L.C. This book was released on 2004 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first book to be published by a patient about the journey out of the black hole of depression thanks to the remarkable medical breakthrough procedure of vagus nerve stimulation. Out of the Black Hole is written by a patient for patients with easy-to-understand explanations which demystify this simple, safe procedure and helps patients make an informed decision about the surgery. Vagus Nerve Stimulation is not related to brain surgery or ECT. There are not cognitive impairments (i.e. memory loss) or drug interactions. Included is information about the potential side effects, benefits, insurance reimbursement codes and reimbursement process. Vagus nerve stimulation has been FDA approved for epilepsy since 1997 and on June 15th, 2004 and FDA Advisory Panel recommended approval of vagus nerve stimulation for chronic depression. Over 30,000 patients have safely been implanted with the device for epilepsy. The procedure is generally done on an out-patient basis. This is considered one of the major breakthroughs in medical device history which could potentially help the 4.5 million Americans who suffer from the debilitating illness of chronic depression.