Surgery Outcomes for High-Risk Epilepsy Patients

Two studies presented at the American Epilepsy Society (AES) annual meeting explored the outcomes of brain surgery for children with severe epilepsy. Anti-epileptics drugs can control seizures and improve quality of life for most people with epilepsy; however, some find those treatments ineffective or intolerable. One study created a decision analysis model to compare how two treatment strategies — medical treatment alone versus brain surgery — influenced the life expectancy of pediatric patients with refractory epilepsy. Results from that study suggest brain surgery is significantly more advantageous than medical treatment alone for eligible children with refractory epilepsy. The second study examined the effectiveness of respective epilepsy surgery on seizure frequency in children with refractory epilepsy and features of Lennox Gastaut Syndrome (LGS). Follow-up visits conducted six months to 6.6 years after surgery showed that 19 patients (out of 36) were seizure free. Two years after surgery, of the patients still experiencing seizures, five patients became almost seizure free, with an average of nine per month. At the last follow-up visit, 24 patients were either seizure-free or had experienced a major reduction in seizure frequency. “In the past, children with features of Lennox Gastaut Syndrome were not considered to be candidates for epilepsy surgery that involves removal of the seizure focus,” said one of the study’s researchers. “Our study confirms that selected children with early brain lesions may be rendered seizure free with epilepsy surgery.” To read more about this study, click here.