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What is epilepsy surgery?
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When is epilepsy surgery an option?
Learn about risks related to epilepsy surgery and how they compare to the risks of uncontrolled seizures. Understand the benefits of surgical treatment, including the potential for freedom from seizures, the possibility of reducing anti-seizure medication, and an improved in quality of life.
- Overview
- Why It's Done
- Risks
- How You Prepare
- What You Can Expect
- Results
- Clinical Trials
Epilepsy surgery is a procedure that removes an area of the brain where seizures occur. Epilepsy surgery is most effective when seizures always occur in a single location in the brain. Epilepsy surgery is not the first line of treatment. But it might be an option when at least two anti-seizure medicines have failed to control seizures. You might ne...
Epilepsy surgery may be an option when medicines don't control seizures. This is a condition known as medically refractory epilepsy or drug-resistant epilepsy. Epilepsy surgery is done to stop seizures or limit their severity. Surgery also is done to lessen seizure-related deaths, decrease the use of anti-seizure medications and decrease the possib...
Different areas of the brain control different functions. The risks vary depending on the surgical site and the type of surgery. The health care team explains the specific risks of the procedure, as well as the ways they can reduce the risk of complications. Risks may include: 1. Memory and language problems that can affect the ability to understan...
If someone is a possible candidate for epilepsy surgery, that person works with a health care team at a specialized epilepsy center. The health care team does several tests to: 1. Determine the eligibility for surgery 2. Identify the appropriate surgical site 3. Understand in detail how that area of the brain functions Some of these tests are done ...
Before the procedure
To avoid infection, hair is clipped short or shaved over the section of the skull that will be removed during the operation. A small, flexible tube is placed within a vein to deliver IVfluids, anesthetics or other medicines during the surgery.
During the procedure
Heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels are monitored throughout the surgery. An EEGmonitor may record brain waves during the operation to better localize the part of the brain where seizures start. Epilepsy surgery is usually done using general anesthesia. The person is unconscious during the procedure. In rare circumstances, the surgeon may awaken the person during part of the operation to help the team determine which parts of the brain control language and movement. In such cases, me...
After the procedure
The person is placed in a special recovery area to be monitored carefully after awakening from anesthesia. The person is usually placed in the intensive care unit the first night after surgery. The total hospital stay for most epilepsy surgeries is usually about three or four days. After awakening, the head will be swollen and painful. Most people need to take pain medicine for at least the first few days. An ice pack on the head also may help. Most postoperative swelling and pain resolve wit...
The outcomes of epilepsy surgery vary depending on the type of surgery performed. The expected outcome is seizure control with medication. The most common and best-understood procedure — resection of tissue in the temporal lobe — results in seizure-free outcomes for about two-thirds of people. Studies suggest that if a person takes seizure medicine...
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Mar 14, 2022 · Treatments & Procedures / Epilepsy Surgery. The main goal of epilepsy surgery is to decrease the number of seizures you experience, the severity of the seizures or, ideally, to become seizure-free. There are several different types of epilepsy surgery. Contents Overview Procedure Details Risks / Benefits Recovery and Outlook. Overview.
Jun 24, 2021 · Summary. Several types of surgery can help reduce or stop epileptic seizures. However, epilepsy surgery has risks. Doctors may only recommend it when a person’s seizures come from a specific...
Oct 14, 2023 · Epilepsy surgery can be an option for those patients who have a focal epilepsy, where a focus can be identified and safely removed. Epilepsy surgery is also an option for certain types of generalized epilepsy, where disconnection surgery can be performed.
With so many options for treatment, surgery for epilepsy is no longer considered a last resort. Epilepsy surgery may be able to offer relief when medications either cannot control seizures or cause unmanageable side effects.
