Study Says Surgery Can Help Epilepsy Patients Stay Seizure Free

A recent study has found that surgery to fight the effects of epilepsy can help patients stay seizure free.

Researchers followed 600 patients, some for as many as 19 years after seizure-control surgery was performed and they found that 52% of those patients stopped having full seizures after five years while 47% remained free of seizures after 10 years. The study did find that simple partial seizures still existed.

Over the years since the study began seizure procedures have become safer and more common place, according to Ashesh Mehta, MD:

“These days if a patient has failed two or three medications we might consider surgery because it has become much safer and more effective over the last few decades.”

The finding is good news for the more than 2 million Americans who suffer form epilepsy, especially those people who’s seizures are not properly controlled by epilepsy medications.

Since relapses are less likely the longer a patient avoids seizures the study shows how surgery can be effective as a long term correction for epileptic patients.

According to WebMD:

About 40% of patients had long-term complete freedom from seizures after surgery. An additional 11% experienced only simple, partial seizures.

None of the patients experienced a worsening of seizures following surgery.

Have you or someone you know had epilepsy surgery? Share your experiences with the procedure in our comments section.

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