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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffYour risks may vary, depending on which variety of epilepsy surgery is used and the portion of your brain involved:
- Memory problems. The temporal lobe handles memory and language functions, so surgery on this part of the brain may cause difficulties with remembering, understanding and speaking.
- Double vision. Temporary double vision sometimes develops after temporal lobe surgery.
- Increased number of seizures. Corpus callosotomy — severing the neural connections between hemispheres of the brain — stops seizure activity from spreading throughout the brain, but it doesn't stop the seizures. In fact, it can sometimes increase the number of seizures you experience, but they should be less severe.
- Reduced visual field. Hemispherectomy, or removing the outer layer of half the brain, usually results in a reduced visual field.
- Partial, one-sided paralysis. After a hemispherectomy, you may have limited ability to move on one side of your body. Intense rehabilitation often brings back nearly normal abilities.
References
- Smith ML, et al. Functional neurosurgery. In: Brunicardi FC, et al. Schwartz's Principles of Surgery. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=5021050. Accessed March 7, 2010.
- Epilepsy and other seizure disorders. In: Ropper AH, et al. Adams and Victor's Principles of Neurology. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3632508&searchStr=epilepsy+surgery. Accessed March 7, 2010.
- Special techniques for neurologic diagnosis. In: Ropper AH, et al. Adams and Victor's Principles of Neurology. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3630099. Accessed March 7, 2010.
- Seizures and epilepsy: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/epilepsy/detail_epilepsy.htm. Accessed March 8, 2010.
- Surgery types: Benefits and risks. Epilepsy Foundation. http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/about/treatment/surgery/benefitsrisks.cfm. Accessed March 10, 2010.
- The operation. Epilepsy Foundation. http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/about/treatment/surgery/operation.cfm. Accessed March 10, 2010.
- After the surgery: Planning ahead. Epilepsy Foundation. http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/about/treatment/surgery/planning.cfm. Accessed March 10, 2010.
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