Chronic epilepsy surgery
Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, characterized by recurrent seizures caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Epilepsy is often controlled with medication, but in some cases, surgery may be necessary.
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures. These seizures are caused by a temporary disturbance in the electrical signals in the brain.
Causes of epilepsy:
Genetic factors: Epilepsy can have a genetic basis in some cases.
Brain injuries: Head injuries can damage the brain and increase the risk of epilepsy.
Strokes: Strokes can damage the brain and lead to epilepsy.
Brain tumors: Brain tumors can cause seizures by disrupting normal electrical activity.
Brain infections: Infections such as meningitis can damage the brain and increase the risk of epilepsy.
Congenital brain abnormalities: Abnormalities in the structure of the brain can cause seizures.
Other causes: such as Alzheimer's disease, lack of oxygen during birth, and high body temperature.
Symptoms of epilepsy:
Symptoms of epilepsy vary depending on the type of seizure.
Involuntary convulsions.
Loss of consciousness.
Changes in sensation or perception.
Shaking movements.
Breathing problems.
Loss of bladder and bowel control.
Feeling fearful and tense.
Feeling nauseous and dizzy.
Experiencing some visual symptoms such as seeing flashes.
Treatment of epilepsy:
Antiepileptic drugs: are the most common treatment for epilepsy.
Surgery: Surgery may be an option for people who do not respond to medications.
Surgeries to treat chronic epilepsy:
They are resorted to if drug therapy fails to control epilepsy.
There are several types of epilepsy surgeries, including:
Segmental epilepsy surgery (temporal lobectomy): in which a part of the brain that causes seizures is removed.
Epilepsy surgery by corpus callosotomy (corpus callosotomy): In which the nerve fibers that connect the two halves of the brain are cut.
Chronic epilepsy surgery by hemispherectomy: In which one half of the brain is removed.
The importance of choosing a specialist doctor:
Epilepsy treatment, especially surgical, requires a high level of experience and skill.
It is essential to choose a neurologist who specializes in treating epilepsy to ensure the best results.
In short, epilepsy is a neurological disorder that can be treated effectively in most cases, and there are multiple treatment options available, including medications and surgery.
