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Has anybody on here got a treatment for it yet?? Like surgery?
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Surgery is a pretty big deal, because it can't be reversed after it's done. I'd certainly look for more options before you resort to surgery. Because of its permanence, I think it should be considered as a last resort... especially since you're 17 years old.
Hi 17,Has anybody on here got a treatment for it yet?? Like surgery?
Surgery is a pretty big deal, because it can't be reversed after it's done.
:agree: with Silat & Cint,:agree: It should be considered a LAST resort! I had a left temporal lobectomy done after trying numerous meds, to no avail.
I believe each person with epilepsy is different, we all react differently to meds & all try different ways to control our seizures, whether it be with meds alone, or other options like diet change, neurofeedback or VNS & surgery.
PREOPERATIVE ASSESSMENT
Success rates for epilepsy surgery are constantly improving, and advances in preoperative assessments are largely responsible. Proper patient selection and a thorough presurgical workup are the cornerstones of surgical success.
If a review of the person's experiences with seizure medicines shows that adequate tests of at least a few different medications have not succeeded in controlling the seizures, then the person may be referred to a specialist for a preoperative (or presurgical) assessment.
The preoperative assessment has two general objectives:
-To maximize seizure control after surgery
-To minimize disruption of normal brain functioning.
The number and type of tests that make up the preoperative assessment will depend on the type of surgery being considered. General objectives of the tests include:
-Assessing the person's current status
-Determining the exact location of seizure activity
Evaluating the surrounding areas of the brain to determine what kinds of problems the patient might experience after surgery.
From the meds you are taking, it sounds like there are more than Grand Mal (tonic clonic) seizures going on. Those are usually generalized seizures. Surgery is for focal seizures.
The kind of seizures you have and the part of your brain where they begin will determine whether surgery is likely to help you. The same things also will determine the specific type of operation that you should have.
There are two main types of brain surgery for epilepsy. The first, and by far the most common, is called resection or resective surgery. In this type, the surgeon removes the area of the brain that causes the patient's seizures. (The name of the specific procedure generally ends with "ectomy," which means removal by cutting.) The most common example of this type of surgery is the temporal lobectomy, in which part of the temporal lobe of the brain is removed. The goal of resective surgery for epilepsy is most often cure of the seizure disorder.
The second, less common type of epilepsy surgery interrupts nerve pathways that allow seizures to spread. The term disconnection is sometimes used to describe it. One example of this kind of procedure is called a corpus callosotomy. (When you see "otomy" at the end of a word, it means that that thing is being cut.) A procedure called multiple subpial transections is another example of this type of surgery. This procedure may be helpful when seizures begin in areas that are too important to remove. Disconnection procedures are generally thought of as providing relief, but not a cure.