Surgical versus medical treatment of drug resistant epilepsy in children: Seizure and non-seizure outcomes

Abstract

The goal of epilepsy treatment is to achieve the most significant seizure reduction, aiming for seizure freedom, in the absence of consequential adverse effects. For children with drug resistant epilepsy (DRE), surgical therapy may offer the best chance of seizure freedom, but is vastly underutilized. In cases where seizure freedom is not possible, surgery may still provide meaningful seizure reduction over that expected from continued medical management. In addition, seizure freedom and reduction can have meaningful impact on non-seizure outcomes including mortality, cognition, behavior, and cost of care. It is essential to compare the relative risks and benefits of continued medical therapy versus surgical therapy in order to best inform choice of treatment in pediatric DRE and avoid unnecessary delays. In this review, we explore the seizure and non-seizure benefits of epilepsy surgery, including curative procedures and those expected to result in meaningful seizure reduction, compared to continued medical management in children.