|
|
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.
Topic Editor: Howard L. Weiner, M.D.
Last Reviewed:3/8/04
This content is user-generated. Content is not monitored nor consistently reviewed by the epilepsy.com Editorial Board. Epilepsy.com therefore cannot guarantee the accuracy of any content edited with the Wiki sections. While epilepsy.com, the Epilepsy Therapy Project, and its partners encourage visitor interaction and publishing within these sections, users should use caution when exploring content, especially as it pertains to health concerns. No content on epilepsy.com is intended to replace the care of a doctor. We encourage you to contact your own health care provider for individual medical advice. We cannot provide second opinions or make specific recommendations regarding therapy, nor does this Wiki content constitute a recommendation for any diagnosis or treatment options.
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| losing my mind (and my boyfriend!) | May 21, 2009 | |
| adriannevar | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| How to tell friends and people you may have a possible relationship with... | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| kimtwin82 | ||
| ASPARTAME ANYONE??? | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| lb34 | ||
| newbie questions | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| mcamp2006 | ||
| Lamictal | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| daffyduck | ||
| They want to drill a hole in my head. Should we have a look? | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| phidippus | ||
| I'm Afraid My Current Seizure Problems Could Cost My Me My Marriage | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| grazianina | ||
| My son has BRE and also has jerking and twitching day and night | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| rodandgeneve | ||
| After surgery difficulties with my work at a State agency; now at risk of losing my job, insurance and my retirement benefits | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| Nylrad | ||
| daughter just recently diagnosed with E | Jul 3, 2009 | |
| uhwheresmycoffee | ||
| Lamictal and tremors | Jul 3, 2009 | |
| Gina Marie | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| my.epilepsy.com Updates | 20,400 | |
| epi_help | ||
| topamax and weight loss | 18,924 | |
| alexia mom | ||
| kepra | 18,778 | |
| brian mattingly | ||
| Possible cure for absence seizures | 15,622 | |
| pdl1 | ||
| Epilepsy and marijuana | 14,881 | |
| cjad234 | ||
| Sexual Side Effects | 12,892 | |
| George R | ||
| How exactly do aura's feel | 12,636 | |
| WendyBendy | ||
| MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s | 11,259 | |
| picnupthepcs | ||
| Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised | 9,932 | |
| spiz | ||
| electrical shock in head? | 9,372 | |
| Maggie | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Men In Recliners | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| crashllama | ||
| thinking of children | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| gillybean8930 | ||
| Neurologist Hunting | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| Gina Marie | ||
| I'm back. ( : Does anyone know anything about nicotine patches and epilepsy? | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| Living with Epilepsy as a Teen | ||
| Summer! | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| Living with Epilepsy as a Teen | ||
| please answer :) | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| brittanyanngr | ||
| Seizures and Epilepsy Traumatic Braun Injury Pakistani Patient Jawad Pasha 26 A Persistent vegetative state | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| Anwer Pasha | ||
| support worker people with learning disability | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| bhing | ||
| Depakine Chrono (natrium valproate) side-effects | Jul 3, 2009 | |
| Ashvura | ||
| nice site | Jul 2, 2009 | |
| lee | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Inspirational Quote - My Own Personal Inner Thoughts | 7,951 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| my partial complex seizures | 3,842 | |
| Zanna1211 | ||
| Topomax... The Dreaded......... | 3,628 | |
| Dr Jason | ||
| Brain Zaps, tics & twitches | 3,448 | |
| JudiS | ||
| side effects of phenobarb. | 3,013 | |
| pksmom | ||
| Feeling Sick | 2,837 | |
| JBJ1984 | ||
| How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens? | 2,806 | |
| epl_controller | ||
| Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds | 2,777 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES | 2,636 | |
| cmscribbles | ||
| Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures" | 2,555 | |
| teft | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Lesional Epilepsy Surgery | Jun 22, 2009 | |
| Chi-gal | ||
| Lamotrigine memory loss | Jun 17, 2009 | |
| superfurry | ||
| Pregnant on Topmax | Jun 16, 2009 | |
| sarah123 | ||
| why don,t they understand, I,m a person too | Jun 3, 2009 | |
| Angela71 | ||
| Living a full life with Epilepsy | May 29, 2009 | |
| Amazon | ||
| teenager driving | May 27, 2009 | |
| babygirl416 | ||
| Epilepsy Surgery Group | May 10, 2009 | |
| lisam11463 | ||
| Dilantin to Lamotrigine & Pregnant | May 7, 2009 | |
| apereira728 | ||
| What is going on here? | May 5, 2009 | |
| jyhprice | ||
| Parent of child with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. | May 2, 2009 | |
| bunglemc | ||
| View all Groups | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Hello...I'm still here | Jul 4, 2009 | |
| freefalling | ||
| Epilepsy does not control my life | Jul 2, 2009 | |
| sweettmaidenn | ||
| Police Officer Discharged Regarding Seizures | Jul 2, 2009 | |
| scott west coast | ||
| JAN 26,2006 CHANGED MY LIFE FOR GOOD | Jul 2, 2009 | |
| kimberly1975 | ||
| Concerned Bystander | Jul 1, 2009 | |
| Bystander | ||
| temporal lobe epilepsy | Jul 1, 2009 | |
| dennyxx82 | ||
| Epilepsy is now part of my life | Jun 30, 2009 | |
| Running Free | ||
| MY NEW LIFE WITH EPILEPSY! | Jun 29, 2009 | |
| unicorn26 | ||
| Track Day | Jun 28, 2009 | |
| danniegirl | ||
| My son's seizures | Jun 27, 2009 | |
| Magali | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica Roiz | 2,238 | |
| kroiz | ||
| Seizure Cat helps unfold my seizure life! | 593 | |
| wenko | ||
| my story | 455 | |
| snoby | ||
| Always Have On Clean Underwear | 427 | |
| crashllama | ||
| Kelly's Life With Epilepsy | 400 | |
| kjcanada1979 | ||
| my brain has died a thousand deaths........... | 382 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| What My Seizures Are Like...... | 363 | |
| javaman | ||
| Nocturnal grand mal seizures (primary generalized epilepsy) | 324 | |
| karalyeva | ||
| Crystal's story | 320 | |
| Crystal11 | ||
| Life......... | 319 | |
| dizzygal | ||
| View all Stories | ||
