Effects of Brain Surgery for Epilepsy Sustained for More than 15 Years

Physicians with the Henry Ford Hospital have published the results of a long-term survey in the journal Epilepsy and Behavior, which indicates that surgery for epileptics have a notable success rate up to 15 years afterwards. The team contacted 4,700 epileptic people who had received surgery from 1993 to 2011 regarding their functional recovery and quality of life, 50 of whom were found to be deceased. The author explained, “Most previous studies looked at seizure and psychosocial outcomes at 2 to 5 years after surgery, and a few for up to 10 years. We aimed to assess the long-term outcomes — up to 15 years — at our epilepsy center.” 92 percent of those questioned recommended epilepsy surgery, with 32 percent reporting as seizure-free. In regards to independence, 35 percent of the subjects reported driving before the surgery, but this raised to 55 percent afterwards. Researchers noted that consistent antidepressant-use after surgery indicated that depression may be linked to epilepsy treatments, but this could also be attributed to an improved mental-health diagnosis at the time of the survey. To learn more about this study, click here.