If you have disabling seizures that cannot be reliably controlled using anti-seizure medications, surgery may be an option for regaining your quality of life. Although the prospect of brain surgery can be frightening, surgery is safe and effective for many people – and in some people, can stop the seizures completely.
Overview
Anterior temporal lobectomy is the most common surgical procedure for treatment of epilepsy because most seizures originate in one of the temporal lobes, which are located on each side of your brain, just above your ears. In this procedure, surgeons remove the front part of the temporal lobe, where the seizures are originating.
Our approach
Your M Health Fairview MINCEP® Epilepsy Care team includes epileptologists, specially trained neurologists who focus on epilepsy and other seizure disorders, plus psychologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurse clinicians, pharmacists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons who are recognized nationally for their clinical research and innovative care.
The MINCEP program has been designated a Level 4 Comprehensive Epilepsy Care Center in recognition of providing the highest level of complex evaluation, monitoring, and treatment.
Anterior temporal lobectomy is highly effective. Up to 80 percent of persons with temporal lobe epilepsy are eventually free of seizures with impairment after the surgery. Most people who still have seizures after the surgery notice a reduction in frequency, and many can reduce the amount of anti-seizure medicines they are taking.
Your medical team will do extensive pre-surgical evaluation to make sure it is likely that the surgery will benefit you. Testing will include scans of the brain, recordings of your brain’s electrical activity, and testing to determine what areas of your brain are associated with speech and memory.
