Epilepsy surgery in children: outcomes and complications.
OBJECTIVE
Ideal epilepsy surgery would eliminate seizures without causing any functional deficits. The aim of the present study was to assess seizure outcomes and complications after epilepsy surgery in children with intractable epilepsy.


METHODS
Data obtained in 134 children (75 boys and 59 girls) age 17 years or younger who underwent epilepsy surgery at Seoul National University Children's Hospital between 1993 and 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. Epilepsy surgery included temporal resection (59 cases), extratemporal resection (56 cases), functional hemispherectomy (7 cases), callosotomy (9 cases), multiple subpial transection (1 case), and disconnection of a hamartoma (2 cases). The mean follow-up duration was 62.3 months (range 12-168 months).


RESULTS
The overall seizure-free rate was 69% (93 of 134 cases). The seizure-free rate was significantly higher in children who underwent temporal resection than in those in whom extratemporal resection was performed (88 vs 55%, p < 0.05). The most frequent causes of treatment failure were related to the absence of structural abnormality demonstrated on magnetic resonance imaging, development-associated disease, widespread disease documented by postoperative electroencephalography, and limited resection due to the presence of functional cortex. There were no postoperative deaths. Visual field defects were the most common complication after temporal resection (22% [13 of 59 cases]), whereas hemiparesis (mostly transient) was the most common morbidity after extratemporal resection (18% [10 of 56 cases]).


CONCLUSIONS
Epilepsy surgery is an effective and safe therapeutic modality in childhood. In children with extratemporal epilepsy, more careful interpretation of clinical and investigative data is needed to achieve favorable seizure outcome.
Kim
Seung-Ki
SK
Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Wang
Kyu-Chang
KC
Hwang
Yong-Seung
YS
Kim
Ki Joong
KJ
Chae
Jong Hee
JH
Kim
In-One
IO
Cho
Byung-Kyu
BK
D000293:Adolescent; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D054022:Cerebrum / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000601:surgery; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006222:Hamartoma / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014794:Visual Fields