Surgery for temporal lobe epilepsy

Intractable epilepsy is a debilitating disease with significant associated morbidity and mortality. Uncontrolled epilepsy is socially disabling causing stigma, social exclusion, and often preventing employment. After an individual has tried and failed three or four of the standard anticonvulsants, it is very unlikely any further medications or combinations of medications will control the epilepsy. The major Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Epilepsy medical societies recommend all individuals with medically intractable epilepsy be evaluated in a comprehensive epilepsy program. In selected individuals, surgery for epilepsy has tremendous potential to cure or control intractable epilepsy. At West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, 48 individuals underwent surgery for intractable temporal lobe epilepsy over a 2.5 year period. Thirty-five (73%) of individuals were seizure free after surgery, and 96% were seizure free or significantly improved. Surgery for epilepsy has a high likelihood for success in medically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy, and is superior to medical treatment alone.