Postoperative medical management following pediatric epilepsy surgery

Medical management of the post-epilepsy surgery patient depends on careful preoperative consideration of that patient's medical, social, cognitive, and emotional status. Outcome expectations should be realistic. Families should be warned that existing cognitive and psychobehavioral problems may not be following surgery, even if seizures are well controlled. As criteria for surgery and surgical techniques continue to evolve, epilepsy centers have an ongoing responsibility to provide objective assessment of outcome. Prospective multicenter studies are required to address these issues adequately.