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Author Spotlight: Advancing Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery in Children Through Novel Biomarkers and Enhanced Localization
Published on: September 20, 2024
Parents' opinions about epilepsy surgery in children with epilepsy
Hamid Nemati1, Ali A Asadi-Pooya2
1Epilepsy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Insights
Most parents are willing to consider epilepsy surgery for their children, especially if it means discontinuing medication. Parental factors and child
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Epilepsy affects many children, often requiring long-term management.
- Drug-resistant epilepsy presents significant challenges for patients and families.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate parental opinions on epilepsy surgery for children.
- To identify factors influencing parental willingness for pediatric epilepsy surgery.
Main Methods:
- A survey was conducted among parents of children with epilepsy (ages 1-16).
- Data collected via questionnaire from April to July 2022.
- Inclusion criteria: 1+ year epilepsy history, current medication use.
Main Results:
- 58.7% of 472 parents were willing to consider surgery for their child.
- Primary motivation for surgery was to discontinue anti-epileptic drugs.
- Parental age, sex, education, and child's polytherapy/injury history influenced willingness.
Conclusions:
- Parental acceptance of epilepsy surgery is high when presented as safe and effective.
- Educational programs should address patient and parental factors for drug-resistant epilepsy.
Objective:
This survey aimed to investigate the opinions of the parents of children with epilepsy with regard to the application of epilepsy surgery for their children.
Methods:
We surveyed all the parents of children with epilepsy referred to our neurology clinic (Shiraz University of Medical Sciences) in April-July 2022. We collected their opinions about epilepsy surgery based on a predesigned questionnaire. The inclusion criteria included parents of all children with epilepsy (1 to 16 years of age, with at least one-year history of epilepsy, and with at least one drug used in the past 12 months).
Results:
In total, 472 people participated in the study; 277 participants (58.7%) were willing to have epilepsy surgery for their child; the most common reason was to be able to discontinue the drugs. Sex (male), age (younger), and education (college) of the parents had significant associations with the parental willingness to have surgery for their children. The patient's drug regimen (polytherapy) and history of ictal injury (in the child) also had significant associations with the parental willingness to have surgery for the children.
Conclusion:
Most parents of children with epilepsy are willing to have epilepsy surgery for their children if their physician presents epilepsy surgery to them as an established, safe, and effective treatment option. Patient and parental-related factors should be considered when designing educational materials and programs for preoperative counseling for the parents of children with drug-resistant seizures.
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