Surgery even if stable on meds

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Dignan

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My neuro and I were talking the other day, and he repeated something I've heard before about surgery not being an option for those that are well controlled with medication.

I had always heard that, but recently I'd heard that more neuros are looking at surgery as a possibility even for those with not many seizures, especilally if they are otherwise good candidates.

Anyone else heard this? Or, is surgery still a non-starter if you are on meds and not having alot of seizures?

-BTW, not that I'm unaware of issues with surgical options, I just like to know there are other options, in the event med side effects become more than I want to deal with in the future-
 
is surgery still a non-starter if you are on meds and not having a lot of seizures?
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Yup. And it's not considered an option for those who have idiopathic generalized epilepsy. But because of improvements in both neuroimaging and surgery, people with focal seizures may be considered for surgery sooner than they were in the past. So rather than trying 8 to 10 different meds first, surgery may be on the table after the first 4 or 5 don't succeed.

I think most people who have epilepsy surgery still need to take meds afterwards, so it wouldn't necessarily solve the side effect issue.
 
I have a VNS, I don't know if you want to call that surgery or not?

I tried a good many different meds and combos of them for about 5 years before my neuro suggested one. I have still been on meds since I've gotten it.
 
Nakamova said:
I think most people who have epilepsy surgery still need to take meds afterwards, so it wouldn't necessarily solve the side effect issue.
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:agree:
I am one of those who still takes meds after brain surgery and VNS surgery, so IMO, brain surgery should only be a last resort. Plus there is memory loss, difficulty with word, moods, depending on which type of brain surgery. Mine was a left temporal lobectomy. And my seizures came back with vengeance, so that is why I had the VNS in addition to the brain surgery, plus meds.
 
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