What causes epilepsy?
Epilepsy can be caused due to various conditions that affect a person’s brain. Some known causes include:
Stroke
Brain tumor
Traumatic brain injury or head injury
The cause of epilepsy is unknown for 2 in 3 people. This kind of epilepsy is termed as cryptogenic or idiopathic.
Developmental anomalies of the brain
Hereditary causes
Loss of oxygen to your brain. Example: Birth time
What are the steps for epilepsy surgery?
Once you are being considered for epilepsy surgery, you will have to undergo three major steps
Pre-surgical evaluation
consensus decision and
finally surgery
In pre-surgical evaluation, we decide the specific portions of your brain which are responsible for this epilepsy with different tests, clinical evaluations, etc. And a team of doctor specialists from various related fields meet together to discuss and reach a consensus about the type of surgery you will need. A final plan is decided in the multidisciplinary meeting.
What is pre-surgical evaluation for epilepsy surgery?
The pre-surgical evaluation consists of various domains. Most important is video EEG followed by investigations like MRI, PET scan, SPECT scan. This MRI scan performed here is not the regular MRI but a customized scan which will depend on recordings of your video EEG. A neuropsychological assessment is also a vital part of presurgical evaluation which gives important insight into the localization and potential problems you will be having after surgery. Once all these investigations are ready, it is generally discussed in meetings to reach a consensus about the plan.
