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Surgery is only performed after careful evaluation by the Epilepsy Board, which includes neurologists, neuropsychologists, neuropharmacologists, nurses, social workers, and neurosurgeons with specialized knowledge of pediatric epilepsy and seizures. Types of surgeries our team performs are listed below.
Focal Resection
Using brain imaging (such as MRI, PET, SPECT) and EEG mapping, we determine the exact area of the brain where seizures start. This area is called the focal point. If this region is accessible without putting speech, movement, memory or other "eloquent" areas of the brain at risk, we surgically remove that tissue, often entirely stopping seizures.
Corpus Callosotomy
Corpus callosotomy involves severing the connections between the two halves of the brain. It is particularly effective for patients who experience "drop attacks" in which they frequently lose consciousness and may injure themselves. Stopping communication between the two halves, or hemispheres, confines the epileptic seizure to one half of the brain. Following corpus callostomy, seizures do not go away, but in most cases they will become milder and less disabling. Patients continue taking medications after the surgery.
Hemispherectomy
The brain is comprised of two halves, or hemispheres. A hemispherectomy is a very complex procedure that involves removing or disabling half of the brain. This procedure is used when the epilepsy source is localized to a broad area of a single hemisphere of the brain. It is only recommended for extreme cases in which seizures have not responded to medications and other less invasive surgeries. Patients may experience side effects including motor and language skill loss.
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