In Spain, between 13,000 and 22,000 new cases of epilepsy are detected every year. According to the Spanish Society of Neurology, there are more than 400,000 people affected by the pathology.
Between 70 and 80% of those affected can control their epileptic seizures by means of drugs; however, the remaining 20 to 30% of patients remain incurable, even with the most recent drugs.
Advances in treatment
Today, patients without a cure already have a feasible solution. This solution is thanks to advances in robotic brain surgery.
The new “Neuromate Reinshaw” robotic system is able to record the activity of the neural network at specific points, making it possible to delimit the extent and location of the seizure generator. This is achieved with the placement of between 7 and 20 electrodes by the robot. If it is not scattered in different parts of the brain (it is usually localized), it can be removed without impairing brain function and with the result of curing epilepsy.
By means of this procedure, pioneer in Spain, it is also possible to detect the function of the area to be removed and ensure that there is no neurological deficit. In short, this surgery is the most effective alternative for epilepsy, with the aim of removing part of the injured brain tissue and the epileptogenic area.
The results are much more effective within two years of diagnosis, since the time that elapses is a factor to be taken into account for a positive prognosis.
Results and advantages of the procedure
The high-precision neurosurgical robot has made it possible to operate on the brains of 15 patients with epilepsy during the last year. Of these, 80% have healed after undergoing the procedure.
Unlike previous techniques, the “Neuromate Reinshaw” robot is less invasive and allows for more precise and safe interventions. This precision has facilitated the treatment of complicated cases that previously might have been considered inoperable.
The procedure allows the total disappearance of epileptic seizures in eight out of ten patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (the most common). It also makes it possible to improve the disease in the remaining 20%, in conjunction with drugs.
Once precisely localized, conventional microsurgery or thermocoagulation of the seizure sites with the same electrodes as the recording can be performed without additional surgery, and at least 20% of patients can avoid surgery.