Epilepsy is a disorder marked by repeated, sudden, and uncontrolled electrical disturbances in the brain referred to as seizures—thus also called a seizure disorder.
Epilepsy surgery is the umbrella term for several types of neurosurgery procedures that aim to reduce the severity and frequency of seizures in the long term, minimize risk of complications, and improve a person’s quality of life. Although epilepsy surgery is often recommended as a last-resort option, there are some cases that require it as an immediate intervention. Your neurosurgeon may recommend epileptic surgery if:
- You have frequent and debilitating seizures.
- Your epilepsy is drug-resistant.
- Your epilepsy is caused by a brain injury.
- The medications are causing severe side effects.
- The type of epilepsy you have responds well to surgical treatments.
If you’ve been told by your doctor that you need epilepsy surgery, the information below can give you a basic understanding of how this neurosurgery procedure works and what to expect during and after it.
How Does Epilepsy Surgery Work?
Once your neurosurgeon ascertains that you’re eligible for an epilepsy surgery, they’ll conduct a preoperative workup to delineate the areas in the brain affected by epilepsy and determine the suitable procedure for you. It could be any of the following:
- Temporal lobe resection – This is the most common surgical procedure for epilepsy, boasting a high success rate. In this procedure, your neurosurgeon removes a small portion of the temporal lobe of the brain.
- Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LiTT) – As its name suggests, it uses a laser to destroy a portion of brain tissue. This procedure is recommended for people with drug-resistant epilepsy or focal seizures (originating from one area of the brain).
- Corpus callosotomy – In this procedure, your neurosurgeon partially or completely removes the fibrous channel, which connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain, to interrupt the spread of seizures.
- Hemispherectomy – This procedure may be recommended if you have severe seizures. It involves your neurosurgeon partially or completely removing the diseased part of the brain from the normal hemisphere.
- Lesionectomy – It removes lesions, tumors, and abnormal blood vessels in the brain that are causing seizures.
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS) – Your neurosurgeon implants an electrode into your brain and stimulator device in your chest. These will block signals from nerve cells to prevent seizures.
These procedures will be performed under general anesthesia, and they can last between three and eight hours.
You can expect to remain in the hospital for at least three to four days, depending on the type of surgery performed. Your doctor may prescribe medications to manage postoperative pain; rehabilitation therapy won’t be necessary unless your vital functions are affected.
Neurosurgery Experts in Lone Tree, CO
Here at Front Range Spine and Neurosurgery, our board-certified neurosurgeons are renowned experts in the field. Their impeccable skills and commitment to providing the highest quality of care have resulted in successful outcomes and an enhanced quality of life in patients they’re privileged to serve.
If you’d like to know more about our services or schedule a consultation, contact our friendly staff at (303) 790-1800 or fill out our online appointment request form.
