title: Long-term seizure outcome of surgery versus no surgery for drug-resistant partial epilepsy: a review of controlled studies.
abstract: A majority of patients with formerly drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy become seizure-free after surgery. However, apart from one 12-month randomized trial, it is unclear how many become seizure-free because of surgery. To determine the net benefit of surgery, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published evidence of how many patients in similar studies become seizure-free without surgery. Of 155 potentially eligible articles reviewed in full text, 29 (19%) fulfilled eligibility criteria. After excluding 9 publications, 20 studies form the base of evidence. Overall, 719 of 1,621 (44%) of patients with mostly temporal lobe surgery were seizure-free compared to 139 of 1113 (12%) of nonoperated controls [pooled random effects relative risk (RR) 4.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.03-5.98]. The pooled risk difference in favor of surgery was 42% (95% CI 32-51%). We found no comparative outcome data in patients with extratemporal lobe epilepsy only. The available evidence from mostly nonrandomized observational studies indicates that in appropriately selected patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy, the combination of surgery with medical treatment is 4 times as likely as medical treatment alone to achieve freedom from seizures.
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Research Group Berlin, Germany. dbschmidt@t-online.de
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stavem
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants