Epilepsy surgery is major neurosurgery. Some risk is associated with it and there is some mild discomfort afterward. The recovery period varies for each individual. The hospital stay also varies, depending on the specific procedure performed. Most people can resume normal activities 2 to 8 weeks after the operation.

It is critical for the patient and family to have realistic expectations of the results of the surgery. After surgery, some patients become completely seizure-free and some have no improvement at all. Many people fall between these extremes, having fewer seizures or seizures that are less intense, or they require less medication. Most people who do become seizure-free after surgery must continue to take seizure medicines (though often at lower dosages) to prevent breakthrough seizures.

Strange as it may seem, becoming seizure-free after epilepsy surgery can be stressful and may require a major adjustment. Seizure control may create greater pressure to be employed or to assume other responsibilities. It also may change relationships and other people's expectations. Some people feel depressed about these changes and they may need a great deal of encouragement during the adjustment period.

One of the greatest stresses after epilepsy surgery is the occurrence of a seizure in someone who has been free of seizures for a while. The return of seizures can be psychologically devastating, but it does not mean that seizure control cannot be restored. Often the seizures have returned because medication was missed or dropped to low levels in the blood, or because the person drank too much alcohol or experienced a serious infection or childbirth.

Topic Editor: Howard L. Weiner, M.D.
Last Reviewed:3/8/04