title: Latest advances in epilepsy surgery.
abstract: Recent advances in epilepsy surgery are a result of improved methods of assessment and diagnosis, a better understanding of seizures, the possibility of surgery at a younger age and the development of new surgical techniques. These factors have led to a wider selection of candidates for epilepsy surgery and shorter treatment trials with anti-epilepsy drugs before surgery is considered. The psychosocial indications for surgery, however, are often not examined thoroughly enough. Epilepsy surgery shows the best results following temporal lobe excision, with 68% of patients becoming seizure-free and 24% showing an improvement. Extra-temporal surgery results in 45% of patients seizure-free and 35% improved. The results of epilepsy surgery in children are similar to those of adults, with 67% of children becoming seizure-free and 21% showing improvement, following successful extensive cortical excision for non-inflammatory lesions. The beneficial psychosocial-economic effects of epilepsy surgery are, however, seldom documented and more research is needed into methods of quantifying, in broader perspectives, the outcome of surgery.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011612:Psychosurgery; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants