RESUMEN
The views of the authors are presented about the past history and recent situation of epilepsy brain surgery in the United States. Issues of efficacy and quality of life are reviewed, and little empirical evidence is found supporting epilepsy brain surgery as a cost-effective treatment modality. Prospective randomized clinical trials have not been run to address these issues and various problems with patient recruitment and funding seem destined to preclude them.
Asunto(s)
Epilepsia/cirugía , Psicocirugía , Análisis Costo-Beneficio , Epilepsia/economía , Epilepsia/psicología , Humanos , Psicocirugía/economía , Psicocirugía/psicología , Calidad de Vida , Ensayos Clínicos Controlados Aleatorios como Asunto , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
Epilepsy surgery is capable of stopping seizures or markedly reducing their frequency in selected patients with medically refractory epilepsy. Presurgical evaluation, as currently practiced, requires concordance among a battery of localizing tests. Cost-effectiveness is increasingly important in the development of optimal presurgical protocols and surgical procedures in specific patient populations.