Modern management of epilepsy. Recommended medical and surgical options

Effective treatment of epilepsy requires accurate diagnosis. This relies heavily on proper identification of seizure type, which may require long-term electroencephalography with video monitoring. Successful drug therapy requires a proper understanding of medication half-life and indications. Attempts should be made to control seizures with monotherapy; more than one agent should be tried only after monotherapy has failed. If medical management fails, surgical intervention should be considered. Such surgery is now considered relatively safe and highly effective.