Surgery for pediatric drug resistant epilepsy: a narrative review of its history, surgical implications, and treatment strategies.

Abstract

Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), also known as medically refractory epilepsy, is a disorder of high prevalence and negatively impacts a patients quality of life, neurodevelopment, and life expectancy. Pediatric epilepsy surgery has been conducted since the late 1800s, and randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the marked effectiveness of surgery on seizure reduction and the potential for cure. Despite the strong evidence for pediatric epilepsy surgery, there is also strong evidence describing its underutilization. The objective of this narrative review is to describe the history, strength, and limitations in the evidence of surgery for pediatric drug resistant epilepsy. This narrative review was conducted utilizing standard search engines to include the relevant articles on the topic of surgery for drug resistant epilepsy in children, with main keywords including surgery in pediatric epilepsy and drug-refractory epilepsy. The first components describe the historical perspective of pediatric epilepsy surgery and the evidence that highlight the strengths and limitations of epilepsy surgery. We then highlight the importance of presurgical referral and evaluation, followed by a section detailing the surgical options for children with DRE. Lastly, we provide a perspective on the future of pediatric epilepsy surgery. Evidence supports the role for surgery in pediatric medically refractory epilepsy in seizure frequency reduction, improved curative rates, and improvements in neurodevelopment and quality of life.