Services/Treatments

Epilepsy surgery at Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka

Epilepsy is a disorder of the central nervous system. People suffering from epilepsy experience abnormal brain activity that may cause seizures, episodes of unusual behaviour, odd sensations, or loss of awareness. Epilepsy can affect anyone, and the most common causes include genetic or developmental disorders, head trauma, prenatal injury, infections, or brain abnormalities. Unfortunately, almost half of the population that suffers from epilepsy does not have an identifiable cause behind the condition.

What is Epilepsy surgery?

Epilepsy surgery is a surgical procedure mainly aimed at controlling or reducing the number of seizures experienced by someone. The highly experienced doctors at Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka, mostly try to treat epilepsy with anti-seizure medication and diet therapy. However, epilepsy surgery is often used as a last resort when no other line of treatment is effective or even harmful.

This surgical treatment for epilepsy can be of different types, and depending on the individual patients, the surgeon may take different approaches. The top surgeons at Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka, may follow three major approaches during epilepsy surgery.

• Resecting the part of the brain where the seizures occur.
• Using a laser to disrupt the nerve pathways responsible for causing the seizures and stop the seizures from affecting the other parts of the brain.
• Implanting a device to disrupt seizure-causing electrical signals.

Why is Epilepsy Surgery done?

Epilepsy surgery, as mentioned before, aims to reduce the number of seizures. Seizures can be debilitating and even life-threatening. It is therefore done to stop seizures or limit their severity. The doctors resort to epilepsy surgery when medications and other treatments are not effective or are causing severe side effects.

Who needs Epilepsy Surgery?

The decision if someone needs epilepsy surgery is reached after intense screening and discussion with our expert doctors and epilepsy team. Our doctors will work with the patient and try to diagnose the contributing factors, the possible course of treatments, the severity of epilepsy and the extent to which it affects their lives. Our epilepsy team at Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka, consisting of expert neurologists and neurosurgeons, will decide if someone needs epilepsy surgery only if:

1. 1. The patient has tried at least two anti-seizure medicines with no positive outcome.
2. 2. The seizures are extremely frequent, weakening, or life-threatening.
3. 3. Diet therapy has not helped.
4. 4. The patient is having severe side effects caused by the anti-seizure drugs.
5. 5. The person is diagnosed with drug-resistant focal epilepsy.
6. 6. There is an abnormality shown in an MRI in the brain region where the seizures begin.
7. 7. The intensity and frequency of the seizures are socially disabling, affecting their day-to-day life and reducing their quality of life.

The doctors may perform several tests, including the following, to determine if you need epilepsy surgery and, if you do, where in the brain it is required:

• Baseline Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• Brain mapping
• Functional MRI
• Invasive EEG monitoring
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
• Neuropsychological tests
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
• Single-photon Emission Computerised Tomography (SPECT)
• Video EEG
• Wada test

Types of Epilepsy Surgery at Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka

Our doctors will take an individualised approach to determine the best surgical treatment for each patient depending on their medical history, age, the severity of epilepsy, etc. Some of the most common epilepsy surgeries in which our doctors have skilled expertise are as follows:

• Anatomical or Functional Hemispherectomy & Hemispherectomy
• Corpus Callosotomy
• Focal Resection
• Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy
• Lesionectomy
• Multiple Subpial Transections
• Neurostimulation Device Implantations,
• Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Epilepsy Surgery Procedure at Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka

As mentioned earlier, there are different types of epilepsy surgery available at Apollo Hospitals. Our doctors will perform a thorough evaluation of the patient before prescribing epilepsy surgery as the line of treatment. We will have in-depth sessions with the patient to help them understand the pros and cons of the surgery and the surgery may affect their quality of life.

Epilepsy surgery is usually performed under general anaesthesia. In rare cases, the surgery may be done while the patient is awake to help the doctors determine which parts of the brain control language and movement. The doctors may shave a part of your head to prevent infections post-surgery.

After localising the area required for surgery, our doctors will create a small window in the skull. This will depend on the type of surgery being done. After the procedure is complete, the doctors will replace the bone and fasten it to the remaining skull for healing.

Once the procedure is done, the patients will be transferred to a recovery room, where they will be carefully monitored. Our team will work with the patient after surgery and during the recovery period to help them recover effectively. The patients will be guided every step of the way to ensure the complete success of the procedure and a better quality of life for the patients.

Apollo Hospitals Karnataka for Epilepsy Surgery

Apollo hospitals Karnataka has a dedicated and skilled team of neurologists and neurosurgeons with years of expertise in performing epilepsy surgeries. We use the latest surgical procedures to address some of the most challenging seizures. With advanced technology, our epilepsy team can determine the seizure-causing areas in the brain accurately and treat them efficiently.

We understand epilepsy is a challenging and overwhelming condition. We, therefore, provide compassionate care and support to epileptic patients to help them manage their condition effectively. Our goal is to help them lead normal and independent lives despite the obstacles they face.

It is a misconception that epileptic patients have to be dependent entirely on others and cannot lead normal lives. The correct course of treatment, guidance on managing the condition, and counselling about leading normal lives with epilepsy can help patients live happy long independent lives even with epilepsy.