Epilepsy surgery
Sampietro-Colom L, Granados A
Record ID 31995000022
Catalan, English, Spanish
Authors' objectives:
To provide an overview of the current state of scientific knowledge assessing the safety, efficacy, and related costs of epilepsy surgery. An assessment about the characteristics and amount of current resources (equipment and personnel) in the Catalan hospitals to perform this procedure is made. Also, the criteria to implement an epilepsy surgery program in Catalonia are assessed.
Authors' results and conclusions:
There is no general agreement about: 1) the best combination of diagnostic technologies to use, and 2) the safety and efficacy of the different techniques used in epilepsy surgery. Nevertheless the ones that have shown greatest efficacy are temporal lobectomy and lesionectomy. There is a controversy about the best age to perform epilepsy surgery (children or adults), but a very early intervention is not recommended. Patients' quality of life is improved because of the decrease in seizures. Epilepsy surgery requires sophisticated equipment and highly qualified personnel. Also, it should be carried out with the collaboration of different departments of the hospital (ex. neurology, psychiatry, neurophysiology...). For these reasons and because some of these procedures are in the assessment stage, a program of epilepsy surgery should be allocated in a university hospital.
Authors' recommendations:
Epilepsy is a disease associated with social and health care burdens. Drugs are the elective treatment. Nevertheless, 10-20% patients do not respond to pharmacologic treatment. A unique unit of epilepsy surgery is recommended in Catalonia taking into account that the amount of people who may benefit from this technology is not very high and considering the current resources available in Catalan hospitals.
Authors' methods:
Review
Details
Project Status:
Completed
Year Published:
1993
English language abstract:
An English language summary is available
Publication Type:
Not Assigned
Country:
Spain
MeSH Terms
- Epilepsy
Contact
Organisation Name:
Agencia de Qualitat i Avaluacio Sanitries de Catalunya
Contact Address:
Antoni Parada, CAHTA, Roc Boronat, 81-95 (2nd floor), 08005 Barcelona, Spain, Tel. +34 935 513 928, Fax: +34 935 517 510
Contact Name:
direccio@aatrm.catsalut.net / aparada@aatrm.catsalut.net
Contact Email:
direccio@aatrm.catsalut.net / aparada@aatrm.catsalut.net
Copyright:
Catalan Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Research
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.