16 Laser-Induced Thermal Therapy for Medically Refractory Epilepsy

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Refractory Epilepsy ◽  
Thermal Therapy ◽  
Medically Refractory Epilepsy

scholarly journals Retrospective analysis of open surgical versus laser interstitial thermal therapy callosotomy in pediatric patients with refractory epilepsy

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
James P. Caruso ◽  
M. Burhan Janjua ◽  
Alison Dolce ◽  
Angela V. Price
Keyword(s):  
Blood Loss ◽  
Retrospective Analysis ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Refractory Epilepsy ◽  
Thermal Therapy ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Corpus Callosotomy ◽  
Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy ◽  
Medically Refractory Epilepsy

OBJECTIVECorpus callosotomy remains an established surgical treatment for certain types of medically refractory epilepsy in pediatric patients. While the traditional surgical approach is often well tolerated, the advent of MR-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) provides a new opportunity to ablate the callosal body in a minimally invasive fashion and minimize the risks associated with an open interhemispheric approach. However, the literature is sparse regarding the comparative efficacy and safety profiles of open corpus callosotomy (OCC) and LITT callosotomy. To this end, the authors present a novel retrospective analysis comparing the efficacy and safety of these methods.METHODSPatients who underwent OCC and LITT callosotomy during the period from 2005 to 2018 were included in a single-center retrospective analysis. Patient demographic and procedural variables were collected, including length of stay, procedural blood loss, corticosteroid requirements, postsurgical complications, and postoperative disposition. Pre- and postoperative seizure frequency (according to seizure type) were recorded.RESULTSIn total, 19 patients, who underwent 24 interventions (16 OCC and 8 LITT), were included in the analysis. The mean follow-up durations for the OCC and LITT cohorts were 83.5 months and 12.3 months, respectively. Both groups experienced reduced frequencies of seizure and drop attack frequency postoperatively. Additionally, LITT callosotomy was associated with a significant decrease in estimated blood loss and decreased length of pediatric ICU stay, with a trend of shorter length of hospitalization.CONCLUSIONSLonger-term follow-up and a larger population are required to further delineate the comparative efficacies of LITT callosotomy and OCC for the treatment of pediatric medically refractory epilepsy. However, the authors’ data demonstrate that LITT shows promise as a safe and effective alternative to OCC.

scholarly journals Corpus callosotomy performed with laser interstitial thermal therapy

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarod L. Roland ◽  
Syed Hassan A. Akbari ◽  
Afshin Salehi ◽  
Matthew D. Smyth
Keyword(s):  
Refractory Epilepsy ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Thermal Therapy ◽  
Class Iii ◽  
Corpus Callosotomy ◽  
Invasive Approach ◽  
Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy ◽  
Less Invasive ◽  
Medically Refractory Epilepsy

OBJECTIVECorpus callosotomy is a palliative procedure that is effective at reducing seizure burden in patients with medically refractory epilepsy. The procedure is traditionally performed via open craniotomy with interhemispheric microdissection to divide the corpus callosum. Concerns for morbidity associated with craniotomy can be a deterrent to patients, families, and referring physicians for surgical treatment of epilepsy. Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is a less invasive procedure that has been widely adopted in neurosurgery for the treatment of tumors. In this study, the authors investigated LITT as a less invasive approach for corpus callosotomy.METHODSThe authors retrospectively reviewed all patients treated for medically refractory epilepsy by corpus callosotomy, either partial or completion, with LITT. Chart records were analyzed to summarize procedural metrics, length of stay, adverse events, seizure outcomes, and time to follow-up. In select cases, resting-state functional MRI was performed to qualitatively support effective functional disconnection of the cerebral hemispheres.RESULTSTen patients underwent 11 LITT procedures. Five patients received an anterior two-thirds LITT callosotomy as their first procedure. One patient returned after LITT partial callosotomy for completion of callosotomy by LITT. The median hospital stay was 2 days (IQR 1.5–3 days), and the mean follow-up time was 1.0 year (range 1 month to 2.86 years). Functional outcomes are similar to those of open callosotomy, with the greatest effect in patients with a significant component of drop attacks in their seizure semiology. One patient achieved an Engel class II outcome after anterior two-thirds callosotomy resulting in only rare seizures at the 18-month follow-up. Four others were in Engel class III and 5 were Engel class IV. Hemorrhage occurred in 1 patient at the time of removal of the laser fiber, which was placed through the bone flap of a prior open partial callosotomy.CONCLUSIONSLITT appears to be a safe and effective means for performing corpus callosotomy. Additional data are needed to confirm equipoise between open craniotomy and LITT for corpus callosotomy.

Consequences of mesial temporal sparing temporal lobe surgery in medically refractory epilepsy

2021 ◽  
Vol 115 ◽  
pp. 107642
Author(s):  
Lilach Goldstein ◽  
Mitra Dehghan Harati ◽  
Kathryn Devlin ◽  
Joseph Tracy ◽  
Maromi Nei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Refractory Epilepsy ◽  
Medically Refractory Epilepsy

A historical cohort of temporal lobe surgery for medically refractory epilepsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis to guide future nonrandomized controlled trial studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 133 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony T. Lee ◽  
John F. Burke ◽  
Pranathi Chunduru ◽  
Annette M. Molinaro ◽  
Robert Knowlton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Epilepsy Surgery ◽  
Refractory Epilepsy ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Seizure Freedom ◽  
Level I ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Medically Refractory Epilepsy

OBJECTIVERecent trials for temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) highlight the challenges of investigating surgical outcomes using randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Although several reviews have examined seizure-freedom outcomes from existing data, there is a need for an overall seizure-freedom rate estimated from level I data as investigators consider other methods besides RCTs to study outcomes related to new surgical interventions.METHODSThe authors performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the 3 RCTs of TLE in adults and report an overall surgical seizure-freedom rate (Engel class I) composed of level I data. An overall seizure-freedom rate was also collected from level II data (prospective cohort studies) for validation. Eligible studies were identified by filtering a published Cochrane meta-analysis of epilepsy surgery for RCTs and prospective studies, and supplemented by searching indexed terms in MEDLINE (January 1, 2012–April 1, 2018). Retrospective studies were excluded to minimize heterogeneity in patient selection and reporting bias. Data extraction was independently reverified and pooled using a fixed-effects model. The primary outcome was overall seizure freedom following surgery. The historical benchmark was applied in a noninferiority study design to compare its power to a single-study cohort.RESULTSThe overall rate of seizure freedom from level I data was 72.4% (55/76 patients, 3 RCTs), which was nearly identical to the overall seizure-freedom rate of 71.7% (1325/1849 patients, 18 studies) from prospective cohorts (z = 0.134, p = 0.89; z-test). Seizure-freedom rates from level I and II studies were consistent over the years of publication (R2< 0.01, p = 0.73). Surgery resulted in markedly improved seizure-free outcomes compared to medical management (RR 10.82, 95% CI 3.93–29.84, p < 0.01; 2 RCTs). Noninferiority study designs in which the historical benchmark was used had significantly higher power at all difference margins compared to using a single cohort alone (p < 0.001, Bonferroni’s multiple comparison test).CONCLUSIONSThe overall rate of seizure freedom for temporal lobe surgery is approximately 70% for medically refractory epilepsy. The small sample size of the RCT cohort underscores the need to move beyond standard RCTs for epilepsy surgery. This historical seizure-freedom rate may serve as a useful benchmark to guide future study designs for new surgical treatments for refractory TLE.

scholarly journals Neuromodulation in refractory epilepsy: Brazilian specialists consensus

2016 ◽  
Vol 74 (12) ◽  
pp. 1031-1034
Author(s):  
Vera Cristina Terra ◽  
Isabella D’Andrea-Meira ◽  
Ricardo Amorim ◽  
Francisco Arruda ◽  
Andrea Julião de Oliveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Brain Stimulation ◽  
Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Vagus Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Refractory Epilepsy ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Palliative Surgery ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Brain Disorder ◽  
Medically Refractory Epilepsy ◽  
Deep Brain

ABSTRACT Epilepsy is a potentially devastating brain disorder characterized by a predisposition to spontaneous epileptic seizures. In patients with medically refractory epilepsy, new non-pharmacological therapeutic approaches may be considered. In this scenario, palliative surgery such as vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) or deep brain stimulation (DBS) may be indicated in a subset of patients. In this paper we make recommendations for the use of VNS and DBS in patients in Brazil with refractory epilepsy.

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