title: The impact of epilepsy surgery on quality of life in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if epilepsy surgery is effective in improving the quality of life (QOL) of children with intractable seizures using the Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (QOLCE).
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors conducted a prospective study of the families of 35 children with intractable epilepsy who underwent epilepsy surgery. Parents completed the QOLCE preoperatively and again 6 to 18 months after surgery. At both assessment dates parents indicated the severity of their child's seizures during the past 6 months and the frequency of their child's seizures during the past 4 weeks on Likert-type scales. Children were split into two groups according to surgery outcome: seizure free vs persistent seizures. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine if children rendered seizure free showed a greater improvement in QOL compared to those with persistent seizures postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Greater improvement in QOL was documented for children rendered seizure free vs children with persistent seizures. This was significant for the overall QOLCE QOL score and subscales assessing cognitive, social, emotional, behavioral, and physical domains of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Epilepsy surgery improves the quality of life of children rendered seizure free. Families can be counseled preoperatively of the potential benefits of surgery beyond seizure reduction.
authors.affiliation: School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sabaz
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Cairns
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Duchowny
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Resnick
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Bleasel
authors.forename: A M E
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bye
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011336:Probability; D011788:Quality of Life; D012640:Seizures; D012649:Self Concept; D013997:Time Factors