Epilepsy after major brain surgery?

[skyfire322]

I was talking to my neighbor last night, and her father started getting seizures after they did surgery on the left side of his brain, due to a hemorrhage. It sounded like he had an absence seizure, and she said it lasted for about five minutes.

Do absence seizures last that long? I have them, but they only last 30 seconds at most. Also, could seizures be a "side effect" from this procedure?

 

[Cint]

It could have been a status absence seizure. Any time a seizure lasts five minutes or longer it is considered status and an emergency if the person doesn't come out of it.

Unfortunately, some people who have had brain injuries or surgeries like your neighbor's father before having seizures, do end up having epilepsy. Several of our members have had this happen.

 

[Nakamova]

"Irritants" in the brain can trigger seizures. That category includes damage from head trauma, but it also includes lesions, aneurysms, and scars -- including scars from surgery.

As Cint said, seizures of any kind that last longer than 5 minutes are said to "go status." and can be very serious. It's also possible that your neighbor's father had a Complex Partial seizure. Those can last longer than absences, and can also involve impaired awareness and blank stares.