Somatic complications of epilepsy surgery over 25 years at a single center.
Epilepsy surgery is an effective treatment for refractory focal epilepsy. Risks of surgery need to be considered when advising individuals of treatment options. We describe the frequency and nature of physical adverse events associated with epilepsy surgery in a single center.



We reviewed the prospectively maintained records of adults who underwent epilepsy surgery at our center between 1990 and 2014 to identify peri/postsurgical adverse events. These were categorized into neurological deficits and those related to surgery (e.g. wound infections). Neurological deficits were categorized as expected or unexpected and into transient (≤3 months) or persistent (>3 months), RESULTS: There were 911 procedures with no peri-operative deaths. Persistent neurological adverse events were seen following 157 (17.2%) procedures. The most common persistent expected complication was quadrantanopia after temporal lobe resections (72/764, 9.4%). Unexpected persistent neurological complications occurred in 20 procedures (2.2%) and included: quadrantanopia (6, 0.7%); hemianopia (2, 0.2%); hemi/mono-paresis/sensory loss (9, 1%); dysphasia (10, 1%); frontalis muscle weakness (2, 0.2%); and oculomotor weakness (1, 0.1%). 106 surgery related adverse events occurred in 83 procedures, with severe infections requiring bone-flap removal in 24 (2.6%) procedures and intracranial infections in 8 (0.9%). The risk of post-resective severe infection increased by 4 fold (OR 4.32, 95% CI 2.1-8.9, p<0.001) with use of subdural EEG monitoring prior to resection. In consequence, in August 2011 we introduced antibiotic coverage in all individuals undergoing intracranial monitoring. Also, after August 2011 there was greater use of Stereo-EEG (SEEG) than subdural (OR 9.0 CI 0.36-224.2, p=0.18ns). One complicated by severe infection. Other surgical complications included haematoma (0.3%), hydrocephalus (0.3%) and CSF leak (1.2%). None had permanent complications.



Adverse event rates are similar to other series. Epilepsy surgery carries well defined surgical and neurological risks. The risks of somatic adverse events, in addition to neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological complications need to be made clear to individuals considering this treatment option.
NIHR UCL Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Department of Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, & Epilepsy Society, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 0RJ, UK, UK; Kegalle District General Hospital, Kegalle, Sri Lanka. Electronic address: kishig@gmail.com.
Inuka K
IK
Gooneratne
NIHR UCL Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Department of Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, & Epilepsy Society, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 0RJ, UK, UK.
Shahidul
S
Mannan
NIHR UCL Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Department of Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, & Epilepsy Society, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 0RJ, UK, UK.
Jane
J
de Tisi
NIHR UCL Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Department of Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, & Epilepsy Society, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 0RJ, UK, UK; Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland - SEIN, Achterweg 5, Heemstede 2103SW, Netherlands; Kegalle District General Hospital, Kegalle, Sri Lanka.
Juan C
JC
Gonzalez
NIHR UCL Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Department of Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, & Epilepsy Society, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 0RJ, UK, UK.
Andrew W
AW
McEvoy
NIHR UCL Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Department of Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, & Epilepsy Society, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 0RJ, UK, UK.
Anna
A
Miserocchi
NIHR UCL Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Department of Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, & Epilepsy Society, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 0RJ, UK, UK.
Beate
B
Diehl
NIHR UCL Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Department of Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, & Epilepsy Society, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 0RJ, UK, UK.
Tim
T
Wehner
NIHR UCL Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Department of Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, & Epilepsy Society, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 0RJ, UK, UK.
Gail S
GS
Bell
NIHR UCL Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Department of Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, & Epilepsy Society, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 0RJ, UK, UK; Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland - SEIN, Achterweg 5, Heemstede 2103SW, Netherlands.
Josemir W
JW
Sander
NIHR UCL Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Department of Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, & Epilepsy Society, Chalfont St Peter, SL9 0RJ, UK, UK.
John S
JS
Duncan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted / Q000009:adverse effects; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
Adverse events; Epilepsy surgery; Neurological deficits