Epilepsy and other seizure disorders disrupt your life, causing difficult symptoms and making your day-to-day life a real challenge. That’s why the professionals at Arizona Institute of Neurology & Polysomnography are so focused on effectively treating your epilepsy or other seizure disorder. Under the leadership of expert Habib Khan, MD, our team of dedicated professionals offers a range of treatments for your epilepsy, including several types of surgical treatment.
So, are you a good candidate for epilepsy surgery? Dr. Khan successfully treats hundreds of epilepsy patients each year through surgical intervention. Here’s what Dr. Khan wants his new and existing patients to know about their options for seizure disorder treatment.
Symptoms of a seizure disorder
Several medical conditions, including epilepsy, can cause you to experience seizures. When you have epilepsy or another seizure disorder, the normal electrical activity of your brain sometimes goes haywire, causing misfires and resulting in alarming symptoms.
During a seizure, you may lose consciousness or behave erratically, moving uncontrollably. Some types of seizures, on the other hand, leave you unresponsive for an interval of time, or cause repetitious unconscious movements.
Either way, the symptoms of your seizure disorder can become extremely disruptive to your life. Unpredictable attacks can get so bad, you may feel afraid just leaving your home. Epilepsy and other seizure disorders can impact your ability to hold a job, or even live independently.
A single seizure may not indicate a seizure disorder. Patients with seizure disorders have typically experienced at least two seizures without other clear cause, like low blood sugar or another medical condition.
Treatment options for your seizures
With professional medical care, you can take control of your epilepsy. The right treatment may ultimately allow you to live completely seizure free.
Dr. Khan typically begins with conservative treatment options like anti-seizure medications or dietary changes. If your symptoms don’t respond, surgical treatment may be called for. Dr. Khan works with a team of specialists to tailor your care plan to your unique needs.
Several types of surgical intervention can benefit patients with seizures. These range from minimally invasive procedures, like laser interstitial thermal therapy, to procedures involving a full craniotomy (opening of your skull). If your brain abnormality can be clearly diagnosed and identified as the cause of your seizures, you have the best chances of effective results with surgical treatment.
Potential surgical solutions
Surgical procedures to address epilepsy and seizures target the area of your brain involved in misfire activity. These include a focal resection, a temporal lobe resection, or an extratemporal resection. We can also remove damaged and misfiring parts of your brain, as in a corpus callosotomy or a hemispherectomy.
Many patients can also benefit from surgically implanted neurostimulation devices. You could see positive results with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), responsive neurostimulation (RNS), or deep brain stimulation (DBS).
Could you be a good candidate for epilepsy surgery?
Patients who benefit from surgical treatment tend to have conditions that can’t be controlled with medication, who would like to have more control over their epilepsy symptoms. Patients of any age can benefit from surgical treatment approaches. Some patients need to combine surgical treatment with an ongoing medication regimen.
To find out how epilepsy surgery could improve your life and control your symptoms, get in touch with the experts at Arizona Institute of Neurology & Polysomnography today. You can schedule an appointment by giving us a call at our Casa Grande, Arizona office, or book with the online tool.
