Surgery for epilepsy

Epilepsy surgery in general is viewed with many misconceptions about its safety and efficacy, and it is an under-used modality worldwide. This deficiency is particularly relevant to children, who stand to benefit the most from early remission of seizures and elimination of the need for potentially toxic AEDs. Advancements in the field and the ability to further sway public opinion toward the established safety and efficacy of epilepsy surgery will come through less invasive techniques to map the epileptogenic zone (eg, EEG, fMRI, MEG) and reversible strategies such as neurostimulation/neuromodulation to control seizures. Two multicenter trials are underway to test the efficacy of thalamic and cortical stimulation via more sophisticated technology and devices than those available in the past.