A new report published in The Lancet by researchers in London reveals promising news for epileptics: About half of epilepsy patients are able to remain entirely free of seizures for at least 10 years following brain surgery for the disorder.
The study evaluated 615 patients who received several different types of brain surgery for epilepsy, in order to assess the post-surgery relapse rate. The researchers discovered that a little over one-half of these patients remained seizure-free after five years, and 47 percent after 10 years. Encouragingly, none of the patients epilepsy substantially worsened following the surgery.
Experts quoted who were not involved in the study say that these findings are likely to have important implications. Currently, surgery is generally advised only after a variety of drug therapies have failed. But the study s authors state that this study will encourage physicians to consider surgery earlier for patients with epilepsy. In view of the impressive benefits of surgery in providing long-term relief from seizures, this could be an important change in clincal practices.
Almost 1 percent of the U.S. population suffers from some form of seizure disorder, and one in a thousand have grand-mal epilepsy, a more serious form. Eager to end the seizures that may prevent them from holding a driver s license, or to cease having to take epilepsy medications that may harm a developing fetus, these patients may have much to gain from the long-term benefits of surgery. Of course, possible complications of such delicate surgery also need to be taken into account.