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| You probably have a lot of questions when it comes to epilepsy. Here are common questions you may have asked... |
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| Why does my doctor need my drug levels? |
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| Because everybody is different, it's hard to know which dose is best for each person. Drug levels let your doctor monitor how much drug is in your system at a given time. After a seizure, you should get your drug levels read. This way, your doctor will know whether or not to adjust or change your medicine(s). |
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| Will I have to take this medicine forever? |
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| Many children outgrow their epilepsy and will no longer need medication. Some adults even become seizure-free after their first or second seizure and can stop treatment. But beware that stopping your medication will probably make you worse if you are an adult who has had seizures for many years. |
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| What is epilepsy surgery? |
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| There are several operations that can eliminate seizures. Talk with your neurologist to find out more. |
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| Is epilepsy surgery new? |
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| Epilepsy surgery is not new. In fact, it was pioneered over 50 years ago by the famous American neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield. By 1954, he had performed over 750 operations. Since then, improved physician training and technology has refined this surgery. As of 1990, over 8000 operations had been performed in 118 epilepsy centers worldwide. |
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| Who performs epilepsy surgery? |
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| A neurosurgeon performs this operation with the assistance of a brain wave specialist (electrophysiologist). This only happens after a complete evaluation is made by the "epilepsy team." |
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| Who is on the "epilepsy team?" |
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| This team usually consists of an epilepsy coordinator, a social worker, a neuroscience nurse, brain wave specialists, neuropsychologists, neuropsychiatrists, neurologists, and of course, neurosurgeons. |
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| Who is a "surgical candidate?" |
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| You are a candidate if you have seizures that significantly affect your quality of life. You must have tried several medications without having felt relief. |
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| What testing must be done before the surgery? |
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| First your doctor must look at your brain to find the source of your seizure. Then, you will get an MRI, a neuropsychological evaluation, and a Wada test. Some centers will take other scans as well. These are called positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans. You will be admitted to the hospital 1 or more times, usually for 1 to 3 weeks. |
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