Sam's Journey with Epilepsy Surgery

Описание: During the summer of 2013, Children's pediatric neurosurgeon, Joshua Chern, M.D., Ph.D., performed a two-part surgery to help alleviate Sam's seizures. Sam has been seizure-free since his surgery in August.

In the fifth grade, Sam was diagnosed with a brain tumor, the first sign of which came in the form of seizures. He had surgery to remove the tumor, which revealed that it was not cancerous.
Unfortunately, three months later, the seizures started again. At this point, Sam was diagnosed with epilepsy, a central nervous system disorder. Sam was put on medication to combat the seizures, which was effective but made him lethargic. Sam stayed on the medication all the way through seventh grade.

Two years after the initial surgery to remove the tumor, Sam came to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for a second surgery with Joshua Chern, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric neurosurgeon. Dr. Chern performed a temporal lobe resection, a form of brain surgery that removes the part of the brain that produces seizures. Four weeks later, however, Sam experienced more seizures.

During the summer of 2013, Dr. Chern performed a two-part surgery to help alleviate Sam's seizures. In the first surgery, a grid was implanted to monitor Sam's brain activity. The part of the brain causing the seizures was removed in the second surgery. Sam has been seizure-free since the last surgery in August 2013. He is still on seizure medications, but that medication will gradually be reduced during the next two years. Visit www.choa.org/epilepsy to learn more about Children's Epilepsy Center.