Who is a candidate for epilepsy surgery : Advanced Epilepsy Treatment Options in India

How is Epilepsy treated?

The main line of treatment is with antiepileptic drugs, which are effective in controlling seizures in 70%-80% of patients with epilepsy. There are several antiepileptic medications. Since certain medications are much better for some seizures, the choice of the medication should be made by a physician who is familiar with these medications. If possible, the child should be evaluated in a center specializing in epilepsy. If this is not feasible, usually pediatric neurologists have training in epileptic disorders and are a good source for a referral.

When antiepileptic drugs fail to control the seizures, the patients may improve with surgical procedures.

Who is a candidate for epilepsy surgery?

Surgery is indicated in a small group of children.

It usually takes the failure of two or three antiepileptic medications before a child would be considered as a potential candidate for surgery. In general, this happens at least after two or three years of continuous treatment with medications. The failure might be due:

1.   to a resistance to the antiepileptic medications that are available,

2.   to the presence of intolerable side effects to the antiepileptic medication,

3.   or to a combination of both.

Since surgical procedures might be very effective in some children, once it is clear that the child's epileptic disorder is not responding to treatment with antiepileptic medications, surgery should be considered. Young age is not a contraindication for surgery, and there is no benefit in waiting for the child to be older. In fact, there is considerable evidence that the younger a child is at the time of surgery, the better his/her potential will be for good function after the surgery. There is a certain degree of plasticity in the brain that helps with the recovery of functions that can be damaged at the time of surgery. This plasticity is higher in younger than in older children.

Advanced Epilepsy Treatment Options Available at World Best Hospital in India

Best Neurosurgery Hospital in India | Neurosurgeon India : Stroke Patient from Nigeria

Till the time a person develops a second seizure, treatment for epilepsy will not begin. This is due to the reason that a person may have one seizure and never develops a second seizure. Medicines are successful in treating epilepsy. These medicines do not cure epilepsy, they prevent recurring of the seizures. These medicines changes the chemical or electrical transmissions in the brain in a particle way that decreases the chance of a seizure.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) :

VNS therapy is recommended when medicines are unable to control epilepsy. During the surgical procedure, an electrical device is implanted underneath the skin. The lead of this device is wrapped around one of the nerves on the neck’s left side. This nerve is called as vagus nerve. This device continuously passes an electric dose to the nerve in order to stimulate it. This process reduces the severity and frequency of the seizures. If a person is feeling a warning seizure symptom then extra stimulation is given for preventing recurrence of the seizure.

Ketogenic Diet :  This is also considered as one of the treatment for epilepsy. Ketogenic diet is recommended for children as it involves eating a diet which is low in proteins and carbohydrates and high in fats. The chemical balance of the brain can be altered that also reduces the chance of having seizures. Ketogenic diet is not meant for adults as the diet can result in any other serious medical condition like heart disease, high blood pressure or strokes.

Advanced Surgical Procedures for Management of Epilepsy

Depending on the particular clinical situation, one of the following surgical procedures is chosen by the Medical team at our affiliate hospital. These operations either aim to resect the disease area of the brain, to disconnect it from other areas so as to relieve the seizures, or to lessen their impact.

• Anteromedial Temporal Lobectomy
• Selective Amygdalohippocampectomy
• Electrocorticography guided Resections
• Multiple Subpial transections
• Quadrantic Resections
• Multilobar Resections
• Functional Hemispherotomy
• Vagal Nerve stimulation
• Radiosurgery (selected cases)
  
  
  For more information visit:          http://www.medworldindia.com        
                      https://www.facebook.com/medworld.india
  
  
  Please scan and email your medical reports  to us at care@medworldindia.com and we shall get you a Free Medical Opinion from India’s Best Doctors.
  
  
  Call Us : +91-9811058159
  Mail Us : care@medworldindia.com