Robot reduces need for open brain surgery to map epileptic seizures
Treatment TermsNeurological disordersEpilepsy
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A minimally invasive robotic device is eliminating the need for some patients to undergo open brain surgery to pinpoint the origin of their epileptic seizures.
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Debbe Geiger
Overview
A minimally invasive robotic device is eliminating the need for some patients to undergo open brain surgery to pinpoint the origin of their epileptic seizures. The device, in use at Duke and a small handful of epilepsy centers across the country, means neurosurgeons only need to make a few small incisions. The procedure is more precise, procedure time is shortened dramatically, and patients recover faster.
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Diagnosing the origin of epileptic seizures
ContentWhen multiple medications fail to stop epileptic seizures, a patient ’s best hope for gaining control of their seizures is oftenepilepsy surgery. That can only happen if the doctors can identify the area of the brain responsible for the seizure and remove it safely. To identify that spot, neurosurgeons may perform a craniotomy, which creates a large opening in the skull. A plastic grid of electrodes is then placed on the surface of the brain to record the seizures and identify where they are coming from.“They can provide a good recording of signals,” saidSaurabh R. Sinha, MD,PhD, a neurologist specializing in epilepsy, and medical director of Duke ’s epilepsy center. “But because they sit on the surface of the brain, the ...
Source: dukehealth.org: Duke Health News - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: dg62 at duke.edu Source Type: news
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