Patients with Epilepsy Often Balk at Surgery

Beginning of article

BALTIMORE -Despite the very real chance of living a seizure-free life, many epilepsy patients with an excellent surgical prognosis continue to walk away from the procedures.

Researchers at the meeting agreed: It's not always easy to convince a patient with refractory seizures that removing part of his or her brain could be the best treatment option.

"Many times, you bring up the idea of surgery and see a look of shock and horror," Dr. Chad Carlson said in a press briefing. "Some are intrigued by the idea that their seizures could be reduced or even eliminated, but there is a real population who are either apprehensive or who flatly say: 'You are not taking out a piece of my brain.'"

Dr. Carlson and his colleagues categorized 445 patients with intractable seizures into three …