Decision-making in stereotactic epilepsy surgery

Surgery can cure or significantly improve both the frequency and the intensity of seizures in patients with medication-refractory epilepsy. The set of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions involved in the path from initial consultation to definitive surgery is complex and includes a multidisciplinary team of neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, and neuropsychologists, supported by a very large epilepsy-dedicated clinical architecture. In recent years, new practices and technologies have emerged that dramatically expand the scope of interventions performed. Stereoelectroencephalography has become widely adopted for seizure localization; stereotactic laser ablation has enabled more focal, less invasive, and less destructive interventions; and new brain stimulation devices have unlocked treatment of eloquent foci and multifocal onset etiologies. This article articulates and illustrates the full framework for how epilepsy patients are considered for surgical intervention, with particular attention given to stereotactic approaches.