Geisinger offers new surgery program to help epilepsy patients lead seizure, medication free lives
DANVILLE – People with epilepsy may now experience fewer seizures or have them stop entirely thanks to an epilepsy surgery program at Geisinger that targets parts of the brain where seizures start.
Geisinger Director of Neurosurgery Steven A. Toms, MD and Geisinger Director of Neurophysiology Jill M. Gotoff, MD, screen patients who may be candidates for seizure surgery. Electrodes are placed into the brain to record seizures and serve as a beacon to guide the surgical team to the diseased part of the brain.
Based on the electrode readings, Dr. Toms removes only the tissue that causes the seizures—without impacting additional brain tissue. Geisinger offers this procedure to benefit both pediatric and adult patients.
“Surgery was once considered a last resort to treat epilepsy,” Dr. Toms said. “Yet recent studies have shown that the earlier the surgery is performed, the better the outcome for the patient.”
An estimated 2.5 million people in the United States have epilepsy. The disease has been linked to long-term brain damage, muscle injury or broken bones suffered during seizures and even sudden death. (A recent report found that epilepsy puts people at a high risk for drowning.)
Geisinger patients receive a comprehensive assessment of their neurological activity in one of Geisinger Medical Center’s four long term monitoring beds. After a patient is evaluated, neurologists may recommend either adjustment of epilepsy medications or surgery.
In most cases, appropriate medication reduces or stops the seizures. However, surgery is a good option for patients who don’t respond to medication and may include removal of brain tissue or implantation of a device that can help to reduce seizure frequency.
“Epileptic seizures result from disruptions of the normal electrical activity in the brain,” Dr. Gotoff said. “Through our screening and treatment program at Geisinger, we try to make sure those disruptions in normal brain activity don’t occur. Most importantly, we aim for patients with epilepsy to have the best possible quality of life.”Add text for article here.