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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
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Anteromesial Temporal Lobectomy for Medically Intractable Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: An Operative Study
Published on: August 15, 2025
Racial differences in patient expectations prior to resective epilepsy surgery
Christine Bower Baca1, Eric M Cheng, Susan S Spencer
1Department of Neurology, University of California at Los Angeles, 911 Broxton Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA. cbower@mednet.ucla.edu
Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B
|June 23, 2009
Summary
Patients undergoing epilepsy surgery often expect to regain driving ability and employment. However, nonwhite patients prioritize cognitive and job expectations over driving, highlighting potential disparities in care.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Epileptology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Refractory epilepsy significantly impacts patients' quality of life.
- Epilepsy surgery offers potential benefits but requires careful patient selection and expectation management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the preoperative expectations of patients with refractory epilepsy awaiting surgery.
- To examine the relationship between patient race/ethnicity and their expectations for epilepsy surgery outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A seven-center observational study enrolled 391 patients with refractory epilepsy.
- Patients' expectations were collected via open-ended questions at enrollment.
- Expectation themes were identified, rank-ordered, and analyzed for associations with race/ethnicity.
Main Results:
- The most common expectations were driving (62%) and job/school (43%).
- When prioritizing the most important expectation, driving (53%) and cognition (17%) were most frequent.
- Nonwhite patients were more likely to prioritize job/school and cognition, while white patients prioritized driving (P<0.05).
Conclusions:
- Preoperative expectations for epilepsy surgery vary significantly among patients.
- Differences in expectations based on race/ethnicity may influence surgical decision-making and utilization.
- Understanding these disparities is crucial for equitable clinical practice and improving surgical outcomes.
