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Risk of left temporal lobe surgery

Sun, 08/23/2009 - 23:43

I am 30 and have had epilepsy for about 7 years over that time things havent improved, they have gradually got worse. I recently went to see my neuro and i was very surprised that the first thing he mentioned was surgery. However he did say that because it is my left temporal lobe, the surgery would be too risky. He mentioned that my memory and my speech could be effected. So he said that i have to just keep persevering till i find a medication that works!! Im not sure if it is the fact that i live in New Zealand and things like that are extremely expensive and the public health system here isnt very good.

I have been reading peoples stories about the success that they have had with temporal lobe surgery and i would like to be able to think that it can work for me too.

If anybody else has been given these warnings but  been able to go ahead with the surgery, it would be good to know how you did it.

Thanks 

Comments

Re: Risk of left temporal lobe surgery

Submitted by debbie1202 on Wed, 2009-10-28 - 11:35

I had a surgery in Atlanta, GA on my left temporal lobe-scar tissue- and my doctor told me we had to go through 2 years of testing to make sure that area was operable, and it was so he operated. 

My surgery went well, and now I am feeling like a natural person.

I want to wish you good luck with that surgery.

Debbie Howard

I had a surgery in Atlanta, GA on my left temporal lobe-scar tissue- and my doctor told me we had to go through 2 years of testing to make sure that area was operable, and it was so he operated. 

My surgery went well, and now I am feeling like a natural person.

I want to wish you good luck with that surgery.

Debbie Howard

Re: Risk of left temporal lobe surgery

Submitted by babzy on Wed, 2013-04-03 - 23:22

Hi Davinc13,

I would be glad to shed some light on this topic for you. I have temporal lobe epilepsy and have dealt with complex partial seizures my entire life up to 4yrs ago.. Let me just say, this type of epilepsy is refractory in that there is no med or combinations of meds that will give you siezure freedom.This type of epilepsy does have a greater success rate thru surgery than others in that it can help you acheive seizure freedom ...

There are risks with all types of surgeries as a general rule. Modern technology has in fact enhanced the proceedures and has made it safer in the long run. As for your memory & speech being affected, that  all depends on what part of your brain holds your memory & speech. I had surgery 4 yrs ago but prior to that I had a series of testing done to find out where my speech& memory were.It was a Wada test. My memory & speech were on the right side which made me a candidate for surgery. Again the risks of surgery is like no other surgery. I am from boston ma and have had fabulous treatment thru an epilepsy center. Dont give up on yourself, temporal lobe epilepsy is said to be the easiest surgery of all with the greatest results too. good luck & good health to you babzy

Hi Davinc13,

I would be glad to shed some light on this topic for you. I have temporal lobe epilepsy and have dealt with complex partial seizures my entire life up to 4yrs ago.. Let me just say, this type of epilepsy is refractory in that there is no med or combinations of meds that will give you siezure freedom.This type of epilepsy does have a greater success rate thru surgery than others in that it can help you acheive seizure freedom ...

There are risks with all types of surgeries as a general rule. Modern technology has in fact enhanced the proceedures and has made it safer in the long run. As for your memory & speech being affected, that  all depends on what part of your brain holds your memory & speech. I had surgery 4 yrs ago but prior to that I had a series of testing done to find out where my speech& memory were.It was a Wada test. My memory & speech were on the right side which made me a candidate for surgery. Again the risks of surgery is like no other surgery. I am from boston ma and have had fabulous treatment thru an epilepsy center. Dont give up on yourself, temporal lobe epilepsy is said to be the easiest surgery of all with the greatest results too. good luck & good health to you babzy

Re: Risk of left temporal lobe surgery

Submitted by Kayne57 on Wed, 2013-04-24 - 15:03

Hi Davnic13,

My son Jacob just had this surgery, 4/2/13-4/19/13 and is out of the hospital now recovering at home. Jake had been told since he was 9 years old that his seizure spot was deep in his speech, memory, and vision area of his brain, and surgery wasn't an option.

So we tried the VNS, medications, everything, and Jake continued to get worse. Now 19, Jake told his doctor he didn't have a life, and we needed to do something! Our Doctor ordered all the tests, took about 6 months to complete. All tests did come back showing his seizure area to be in a problematic spot in the brain.

Once the electrodes were surgical placed, and the mapping began, the doctors were very surprised to discover that Jake's seizure spot was really a mass that had pushed most of his functioning to the outer edges. Something they wouldn't know unless the mapping is done. The mass was removed and so far Jake is seizure free and functioning fine. A little bit of his peripheral vision in his right eyewas clipped, but he says it's hardly noticable.

It probably is too early to claim victory, but Jake went into surgery hoping for a seizure reduction, never realized seizure free could be an option.

It's a hard decision to made going through double brain surgery, but I think technology is on your side, they can do some amazing things these days. Surgeons are looking at epilepsy surgery more carefully as an option for those with uncontroled seizures. The outcome doesn't have to be seizure free, maybe just improved.

Best of luck to you, good affordable health care is a problem all over the world isn't it? And brain surgery isn't cheap! I hope my story helps you, take care.

Jake's Mom

Hi Davnic13,

My son Jacob just had this surgery, 4/2/13-4/19/13 and is out of the hospital now recovering at home. Jake had been told since he was 9 years old that his seizure spot was deep in his speech, memory, and vision area of his brain, and surgery wasn't an option.

So we tried the VNS, medications, everything, and Jake continued to get worse. Now 19, Jake told his doctor he didn't have a life, and we needed to do something! Our Doctor ordered all the tests, took about 6 months to complete. All tests did come back showing his seizure area to be in a problematic spot in the brain.

Once the electrodes were surgical placed, and the mapping began, the doctors were very surprised to discover that Jake's seizure spot was really a mass that had pushed most of his functioning to the outer edges. Something they wouldn't know unless the mapping is done. The mass was removed and so far Jake is seizure free and functioning fine. A little bit of his peripheral vision in his right eyewas clipped, but he says it's hardly noticable.

It probably is too early to claim victory, but Jake went into surgery hoping for a seizure reduction, never realized seizure free could be an option.

It's a hard decision to made going through double brain surgery, but I think technology is on your side, they can do some amazing things these days. Surgeons are looking at epilepsy surgery more carefully as an option for those with uncontroled seizures. The outcome doesn't have to be seizure free, maybe just improved.

Best of luck to you, good affordable health care is a problem all over the world isn't it? And brain surgery isn't cheap! I hope my story helps you, take care.

Jake's Mom

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