Quality of life after epilepsy surgery in Korea

Temporal changes in the quality of life (QOL) and the underlying factors after epilepsy surgery might be specific to Korea, where social stigma toward patients with epilepsy is still pronounced.

The seizure characteristics, number of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), and the presence of stigma, anxiety, and depression were assessed before and after surgery (at 6 months and around 2 years) in 32 surgery patients and 32 nonsurgery patients. The QOL was compared between these groups using the Epilepsy Surgery Inventory-55 questionnaire. The factors affecting QOL were also evaluated.

The scores in the mental, physical, and role-functioning domains were significantly higher at 6 months (all p<0.01) and around 2 years (all p<0.01) than at baseline in the surgery group but not in the nonsurgery group. The factors related to QOL differed at the two follow-up times, with seizure freedom being important at 6 months, and AEDs and depression being important at around 2 years.

A marked increase in QOL in our population was observed after epilepsy surgery. Although the small sample limits the interpretation of the results, the QOL change in our surgery patients shows similar trends to those reported in Western countries. A full understanding of underlying factors related to QOL might aid the development of optimal strategies for improving the long-term postsurgery QOL in this population.