Epilepsy surgery shows good result long-term

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Surgery for epilepsy shows benefits even 30 years on, according to a study.
People whose seizures do not respond to medication may benefit from surgery known as temporal lobectomy, where the part of the brain responsible for the problem is removed. A team at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders in the US now reveals that this operation has long-lasting benefits.

They looked at 48 people who'd had the surgery nearly 30 years ago and asked them about seizures occurring one, five, ten and 30 years after the operation. They found 14 were clear of seizures after 30 years and taking no drugs and ten were free of seizures but still on medication. Those who had seizures within a year of surgery were the least likely to be free of the seizures in the future.

Source
Neurology 14th June 2005

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