Epilepsy is a brain condition in which abnormal electrical activity in the brain causes a number of different kinds of seizures. Epilepsy typically starts during childhood; some cases of pediatric epilepsy can be treated with surgery.
Candidates
Not all children are good candidates for surgery, the Mayo Clinic explains. The children who are most likely to benefit from surgery have seizures that consistently begin in the same part of the brain.
Requirements
Although the surgery is being used more frequently than in the past, Epilepsy.com explains, it should only be used for patients who cannot be successfully treated with medications. A minimum of two different anti-seizure medications should be tried before surgery is considered.
Types
The most common type of surgical procedure for pediatric epilepsy, according to the Epilepsy Foundation, is called a lobectomy, in which part of the brain is removed. Other procedures include a hemispherectomy, corpus callosotomy and a multiple subpial transection.
Risks
Surgical treatment for epilepsy can cause problems with memory, reduced visual field, partial or one-sided paralysis and double vision. In some cases, a corpus callosotomy can actually increase the frequency of seizures.
Results
Even with a successful surgery, patients will need to continue to take their anti-seizure medications to help prevent seizures. However, patients can be weaned off their medication over the course of a year or two.
