Who can be helped by epilepsy surgery?
	In some people, epilepsy is caused by a specific structural problem in a part or part of the brain. This may have resulted from some form of head injury, occurring either at birth or in later life, or from a cerebral infection. It is also possible that the brain did not develop properly or there is some form of scarring lesion which the person was born with. Some of these people may be helped by epilepsy surgery which, put very simply, means removing the abnormal or damaged part of the brain. This is major brain surgery and is not undertaken lightly.
	It is thought that there are several thousand people with epilepsy who could benefit from epilepsy surgery and with the advancement in MRI scanning, it is hoped that more people with lesions will be identified and some may be able to be considered for this form of surgical treatment. (See MRI Factsheet)
	Over 70% of people who have epilepsy surgery become completely seizure-free. To find out whether someone is suitable for this type of surgery, a number of things will need to be taken into account by the consultant or specialist.
	To answer some of these questions a number of tests will need to be carried out, these may include: MRI scans, video telemetry and psychological tests.
	The results of these are vital in giving the consultant the information they need to assess the suitability for surgery of each person.
	Surgery will be considered if: the person has no other medical problem which would make him/her unsuitable for this type of surgery. anti-epileptic drug treatment has been tried but has been proved to be unsuitable or unsuccessful. the seizures can be seen to be arising from one localised area of the brain. the person’s ability to function normally would not be affected by removing this part of the brain. the irregular part of the brain is accessible to the surgeon and can be removed without causing further damage to any other part of the brain. the areas of the brain responsible for speech, sight, movement or hearing are not close to the part of the brain to be removed. the person is thought to have a very good chance of becoming seizure-free after surgery.
	To find out more about the possibility of epilepsy surgery, you should discuss this with your specialist who, if it is felt to be appropriate, may refer you to a centre offering this treatment for detailed evaluation.
	List of centres where Epilepsy surgery is performed in India:-   All India Institute of Medical Sciences - New Delhi   NIMHANS - Bangalore   Apollo Hospitals - Chennai   Sri Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences - Trivandrum   Jaslok Hospital - Mumbai   Hinduja Hospital - Mumbai