Procedures and Outcomes
The Epilepsy Center at UC San Diego Health System is recognized for its expertise in performing advanced surgical procedures for the treatment of epilepsy.
The ideal surgery candidate has seizures that start in the same small area of the brain, in an area of the brain that is not critical for normal brain function and can be safely removed in a surgical procedure. Below are some of the surgical procedures use to treat epilepsy:
- Tailored Temporal Lobe Resection - Removes the anterior temporal lobe and portions of the amygdala and hippocampus. Procedure is tailored to the individual patient
- Extratemporal Resection - Removes the portion of the brain lobe that contains the seizure focus, such as the frontal, parietal or occipital lobe
- Modified Hemispherectomy - Removes major areas of damaged brain tissue in multiple lobes on one side of the brain
- Corpus Callosal Section - Cuts through the fiber "cables" that connect the two sides of the brain to reduce drop attacks or other generalized seizures that cause falls and injuries
- Resection of Focal Structural Lesion - Removes a small area of abnormality such as a tumor, vascular abnormality, cortical dysplasia or infection. Also called a lesionectomy
Surgery is tailored to the individual, depending on the type and location of the seizure. During surgery, sophisticated technology is used to minimize the neurologic impact on functioning and language.
Outcomes
More than 70 percent of patients are seizure-free after surgery and an additional 20 percent experience a major reduction in their seizures, allowing them to live a significantly improved lifestyle. The majority of patients require continued medical therapy, but usually at a lower dose.
Corpus callosal section is successful for treating drop attacks, although patientes may continue experiencing other seizure types.