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Epileptic Disorders

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Pediatric epilepsy surgery: state of the art, recent developments and future perspectives Volume 2, issue 1, Mars 2000

Authors
Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Program, Epilepsy Center Bethel, Clinic Mara, Maraweg 21, 33617 Bielefeld, Germany
  • Page(s) : 53-6
  • Published in: 2000

Epilepsy surgery has developed into a safe and effective treatment for children with drug resistant, localization- related epilepsy, and is no longer considered a last resort treatment [1]. Seizure outcome after surgery may, however, be quite variable and is influenced by numerous factors of which the etiology or morphologic substrate causing the epilepsy, the localization and extent of the epileptogenic zone are probably the most important factors. In general, the goals of surgical treatment may be defined as improving the patient's quality of life (QOL). There are currently few comprehensive data studying the effect of pediatric epilepsy surgery on behaviour, longterm cognitive development, academic performance and psychosocial adaptive functioning. As the outcome results of epilepsy surgery in childhood are so variable, and as improved QOL may not depend entirely on a totally seizure-free outcome, it is going to be important to define new aims and to develop new categories for measuring outcome, as has been suggested by David Taylor. The overall positive impact of epilepsy surgery on global, health-related quality of life has been reported in a pilot study, but prospective studies with epilepsy-specific quality of life measures, assessing the effects of surgery outcome in children of different ages are still lacking [2].