Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Symposium 2

Physicians' emotional barriers toward epilepsy surgery

Nobukazu Nakasato, M.D.1), Kazutaka Jin, M.D.1), Masaki Iwasaki, M.D.2), Naoshi Itabashi, M.D.1) and Teiji Tominaga, M.D.2)

1)Department of Epileptology, Tohoku University School of Medicine
2)Department of Neurosurgery, Tohoku University School of Medicine

Guidelines for epilepsy recommend timely referral of potential surgical candidate to an epilepsy center for evaluation. However, many patients are never referred for evaluation, or referred even a few decades after medically intractable condition. Physician's negative attitudes toward surgery may increase risk of morbidity and mortality in epilepsy patients. The aim of this review is to identify barriers toward epilepsy surgery among physicians. Importance of long-term epilepsy monitoring is emphasized.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (218K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 52: 1080|1082, 2012)
key words: pharmaco-resistant epilepsy, video EEG monitoring, electroencephalography, epilepsy surgery, antiepileptic drug

(Received: 24-May-12)