Epilepsy Surgery
Epilepsy surgery may be an option when medicines don’t control seizures. This is a condition known as medically refractory epilepsy or drug-resistant epilepsy. Epilepsy surgery is done to stop seizures or limit their severity. Surgery also is done to lessen seizure-related deaths, decrease the use of anti-seizure medications and decrease the possible side effects of the medicines.
Poorly controlled epilepsy can result in a number of complications and health risks, including:
- Physical injuries during a seizure
- Drowning, if the seizure occurs during a bath or swimming
- Depression and anxiety
- Developmental delays in children
- Sudden death, which is a rare complication of epilepsy
- Worsening memory or other thinking skills