Temporal lobe epilepsy. Late mortality in patients treated with unilateral temporal lobe resections

This survey studies mortality in 2,204 epileptic patients treated from 1928-73 with unilateral temporal lobe resection. The operative mortality rate was 8.2 deaths per 1,000 operations, with the latest operative mortality recorded in the early 1960's. The late mortality was 47.6 per 1,000 patients surviving the operation. This is an excess mortality compared to the general population, but a marked reduction compared to the estimated preoperative mortality rate.