Epilepsy Surgery: Indications, Approaches, and Results

Guy M. McKhann II; Blaise F. D Bourgeois; Robert R. Goodman

doi:10.1055/s-2002-36653

Seminars in Neurology, Table of Contents

Semin Neurol 2002; 22(3): 269-278
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-36653

Epilepsy Surgery: Indications, Approaches, and Results

Guy M. McKhann II¹ , Blaise F. D. Bourgeois² , Robert R. Goodman¹

¹Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University, New York, New York
²Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The surgical treatment of epilepsy is divided into procedures with curative or palliative goals. Curative procedures are highly effective in rendering the majority of patients seizure free, and palliative procedures often result in marked improvement in seizure frequency, quality of life, or both. This brief overview of epilepsy surgery outlines the goals of surgery, criteria used to determine patient eligibility, the various types of epilepsy surgery, and anticipated outcomes of these approaches. Newer surgical techniques including vagus nerve and deep brain stimulation and gamma knife radiosurgery are also discussed.

KEYWORD

Epilepsy surgery - temporal lobe - neocortical - disconnection - brain stimulation - radiosurgery

Full Text

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