title: Anatomical hemispherectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anatomical hemispherectomy is frequently employed in the surgical management of pediatric patients with medically refractory epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this chapter, we review the historical evolution of this surgical procedure, outline the indications and the criteria for selecting surgical candidates and describe the important pre-operative evaluation of the surgical candidates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We provide a detailed description of our surgical technique, anesthesiological considerations, and post-operative care plan. Ultimately we analyze the most common complications associated with this procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anatomical hemispherectomy performed in carefully selected pediatric patients with medically intractable epilepsy can be a safe and efficacious surgical procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA. knfountasmd@excite.com
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Fountas
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tamburrini
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pietrini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Rocco
mesh_terms: D004827:Epilepsy / Q000266:history / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D038421:Hemispherectomy / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000379:methods