New Study Highlights Successful Surgical Procedure For Treating Epilepsy

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) examined 143 patients who underwent neurosurgeries to treat severe epilepsy and the results have been promising. Roughly two-thirds of the 143 subjects have been completely seizure-free since undergoing surgery two years ago. By mapping the brain, surgeons were able to identify malformations in many of the patients’ brains that cause seizures and surgically removed them. The malformations could be as small as an acorn or as large as half of the brain.

A Last, Best Option

For most people, epilepsy may be treated with anticonvulsants like Topamax, but for many others this new procedure is the only hope. Some forms of particularly severe epilepsy do not respond to medication, and thus sufferers of the condition must go through life constantly wondering when the next seizure will strike. Some of the most severe cases can cause the patient to suffer from dozens of seizures on a daily basis.

These surgeries are obviously not expected to replace regular administering of anticonvulsants in patients with treatable forms of epilepsy, but the study has provided researchers with data that may be built upon. As brain imaging technology continues to evolve, and the different types of seizure-causing malformations become identifiable by the technology, the procedure may be further developed.

An Alternative To Anticonvulsants?

Though this study represents a breakthrough for the future of neurosurgery to treat epilepsy, surgery on the brain is never routine and could not fully replace the use of anticonvulsants. For most people, anticonvulsants are a practical and effective option.

However, when children born to women who used Topamax to treat seizures or migraines during pregnancy develop birth defects, lives are put at risk. Johnson & Johnson could have foreseen this issue through more thorough pre-market testing, but the company apparently failed to do so and many have suffered as a result.

If your child has suffered from these side effects, then you may have a claim for compensation for this Topamax lawsuit. The attorneys at the Rottenstein Law Group have over two decades of collective experience fighting legal battles on behalf of individuals that have been harmed by big companies like Johnson & Johnson. Click here for a free consultation with an RLG attorney.