DIAGNOSIS
Individuals who will undergo extratemporal cortical resection may undergo extensive evaluation for surgery that includes seizure monitoring, MRI, and PET. Other examinations may include neurological memory trials and the WADA examination that identifies which part of the brain operates the language’s function. These procedures will help to determine the center of the seizure and whether the surgery is workable.
TREATMENT
During extratemporal cortical resection, a patient is given general anesthesia to fall asleep. The brain is exposed to a method known as craniotomy to determine what’s inside. The surgeon will make a slit on the patient’s scalp, pull out a bit of bone and drag back a part of the dura, the durable membrane that protects the brain. It makes an opening in which a surgeon infuses special devices to pull out a tissue from the brain. Microscopes for surgery are applied to provide surgeons a detailed view of the affected part of the brain. The surgeon will use the data collected during the evaluation and during the procedure to identify the root of the problem inside the brain. In other cases, a part of the surgery is executed while the patient is conscious, using a medication that makes the person calm and painless. It is to help the surgeon detect and prevent the part of the brain that is in-charge of essential functions.
What will happen after the surgery?
After the procedures, the patient is usually required to rest in the hospital for more than four days. Many people who undergo extratemporal cortical resection can do regular tasks, including work, six or more weeks after the surgery. The hair over the slit will grow by itself, and the scar will be hidden. But still, patients are required to continue taking the medication for anti seizures for at least three more years to prevent it from coming back.