Stereoelectroencephalography, which avoids completely opening the skull of epileptics, is an effective surgical technique.
To treat certain epilepsies on which drugs have no effect, a relatively less invasive technique (stereoelectroencephalography) avoids opening the cranial box too widely (craniotomy) and, icing on the cake, is more effective (76% vs 55%) .
“About a third of cases of epilepsy cannot be controlled with medication. These results will give more patients the confidence to consider surgery and motivate other institutions to invest in this minimally invasive procedure.” , welcome the researchers, published in the JAMA.
The skull is not open but very finely pierced
260 surgeries were evaluated, all performed on patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. 139 people underwent major surgery, involving craniotomy (ESD).
The other 121 patients opted for a less heavy surgery, called “stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG)”. “The goal of the intervention is to place, with very high precision, electrodes within the brain itself, directly in contact with the area presumed to be responsible for epilepsy”, can we read on Neurosurgery.fr. To do this, the skull is not opened but very finely pierced, to allow a week of observation and if possible a treatment of the epileptic zone.
Sudden loss of consciousness and fall that can lead to death
Conclusion: among patients who underwent resection or laser ablation to remove the lesion causing their epileptic seizures, more than three-quarters (76%) of stereoelectroencephalograms had nearly or completely eliminated the seizures a year later, compared to just over half (55%) of craniotomies.
Epilepsy is a disease of the nervous system characterized by the spontaneous recurrence of epileptic seizures, which result from an abnormal and simultaneous discharge of thousands of neurons in an area of the brain. Symptoms are variable. In the case of partial epilepsy, there may be uncontrolled and localized muscle twitches, tingling, sensory hallucinations (visual, auditory or olfactory), automatic movements, etc.
In the event of a generalized epileptic seizure, the most typical seizure is the “tonic-clonic seizure”, with sudden loss of consciousness and a fall that can lead to death. In patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy, this risk is 5 times higher than in the general population.