Epileptic Disorders
MENUWhy the TimeToStop trial failed to recruit: a survey on antiepileptic drug withdrawal after paediatric epilepsy surgery Volume 20, numéro 5, October 2018
TEST YOURSELF
(1) Should one wait for 12 months after paediatric epilepsy surgery before starting AED withdrawal (for both mono- and polytherapy)?
(2) Is it safe to start postoperative antiepileptic drug withdrawal at four months for children?
(3) What are the current practices regarding postoperative timing of antiepileptic drug withdrawal?
Answers
(1) No, most respondents to this survey started withdrawal earlier. About half of them even believed that postponing withdrawal to 12 months is unjustified.
(2) The majority of (mostly European) paediatric epileptologists are of the opinion that this is safe, both for mono- and polytherapy.
(3) In the case of polytherapy, AED withdrawal was usually initiated at between three and six months (IQR); for TTS collaborators, this was even earlier, at between one and four months (IQR). In the case of monotherapy, the IQR ranged from six to 13 months, and for TTS collaborators from four to six months.