Surgery And Alternative Treatments For Epilepsy May Offer Hope

Medication and vagus nerve stimulation can be effective treatments for some people with epilepsy. But for others, conventional treatment does not work, and seizures continue. In some instances, other types of treatments may be recommended to improve a patient's quality of life.

Surgery For Epilepsy

The most invasive type of epilepsy treatment is surgery. Surgery for epilepsy is most effective if seizure activity occurs in a well-defined area of the brain. In addition, surgery can only be performed if it does not interfere with functions, such as speech, motor skills and vision. 

Physicians will usually try all other types of treatment before resorting to surgical procedures. Different types of surgical procedures may be recommended, depending on the part of the brain where the seizure activity originates. 

For instance, one type of procedure is called asubpial transection. The procedure involves making a few small incisions into different sections of the brain, which is intended to disrupt the seizure. In another surgery, one lobe or part of a lobe in the brain is removed to reduce seizures. In many cases, this type of surgery is used to treat seizures, which start in the temporal lobe.

Another surgical procedure, referred to as corpus callostomy, does not involve removing brain tissue. Instead, a membrane is severed, which divides the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Severing the membrane interferes with the electrical impulses traveling from both halves of the brain.  

Additional Epilepsy Treatment

Doctors continue to research additional treatments for epilepsy. It is essential to understand not all treatments work for everyone. Medicine is always evolving, and some types of epilepsy treatment are still in the research stage.  Below are a few additional treatments for epilepsy.   

Diet: One treatment or way to manage epilepsy, which some people have found effective, involves dietary changes. The ketogenic diet is a high fat and low carb diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, following this diet may reduce seizure activity is children when medication is not effective. Because the diet limits carbohydrates, the body is forced to burn fat for energy, which causes ketones to build up. For reasons that are not fully understood, high levels of ketones decrease seizure activity in some children.

Medical Marijuana: In some states, medical marijuana is legal for treating certain diseases. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, some people with epilepsy have a decrease in seizures when using medical marijuana. The reason marijuana may decrease seizures in some people is currently being researched.

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Complementary Treatments: When conventional treatment does not reduce seizures or side effects are severe, some people with epilepsy try alternative treatments to treat epilepsy. Additionally, alternative treatment is sometimes used to complement traditional treatment and not to replace it.

Complementary treatments, which are sometimes used to treat epilepsy including acupuncture and herbal remedies. In addition, chiropractic therapy along with biofeedback may be also used by some people. Before trying any type of alternative treatment for epilepsy, it is critical to discuss it with your doctor. Some forms of alternative medicine can interact with conventional medications, so it is important to be careful.