Epilepsy treatment
Epilepsy is a condition of the brain which results in unforeseeable seizures and abnormal changes in a person’s behaviour. The changes in behaviour may be a loss of awareness, irregular twitching of the arms and legs or a loss of sensation. Here you will know about epilepsy surgery, cost, success rate, recovery etc.
Today we at MyMedTrip.com shall brief you on epilepsy’s symptoms, epilepsy treatment process, its surgical method, and epilepsy treatment success rates in India.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Cost for Epilepsy Treatment in India | US$ 3300 |
| Discount | 10% on the above quoted price (final hospital’s bill) ONLY APPLICABLE ONLY FOR MyMedTrip.com patients Click here for exceptions and terms. |
| Number of days at hospital (Estimated) | 1 day |
| Number of days in India outside hospital (Estimated) | 10 days |
| Treatment’s Success Rate | 80- 90% and then over 95% |
| Tests required to help assess the treatment | MRI, CT scan, PET, MEG, MRS ultrasound, EEG, and organ function tests. |
What is covered in the above mentioned cost for surgery?
This price includes surgery cost, doctor’s fee, standard prescribed tests and all standard expenses required at the hospital.
Epilepsy treatment
Epilepsy condition is a neurological disorder which is also known as ‘seizure disorder’. In this condition, people suffer its symptoms momentarily.
The symptoms, which are mentioned below, are caused by various types of seizures and may either be mild or severe. In severe cases, the symptoms are experienced twice or thrice in a day.
Seizures are sudden electrical activity within the brain. An epileptic seizure occurs at random without any trigger. They can be further sub-categorised into general and partial.
In a general seizure, there is the capacity of the entirety of the brain to be affected. In a partial seizure, only a part of the brain may be affected. Partial seizures are also known as focal seizures.
People undergoing epilepsy treatment are either given medicines to control the symptoms or are suggested surgery.
Causes for epilepsy seizures
Although the seizures occur without any trigger, there are several causes that amalgamate into causing a sudden electrical activity within the brain. Physical conditions such as a very high fever or a traumatic injury in the head, may cause seizures.
Other factors in which seizure may be experienced as a symptom are withdrawal symptoms after drugs and alcohol.
Risk factors
Epilepsy is a common disorder. People who are more prone to developing epilepsy are:-
- People who have inherited genetic information from either of their parental line with epileptic disease.
- Children and elderly people.
- People with several kinds of autistic disorder.
- People who have suffered sudden head injury.
- People who have developed brain infection.
- People suffering from Alzheimer’s.
- People diagnosed with brain tumours.
- People with certain congenital conditions such as Down’s syndrome.
- People born with certain malfunctioning in the structural workings of the brain.
Symptoms of epilepsy
The symptoms of epilepsy which becomes evident through seizures which include:-
- Loss of consciousness.
- Lightheadedness.
- Changes in sensation such as touch.
- Twitching of arms.
- Twitching of legs.
- Confusion.
- Staring in one direction.
Diagnosis of epilepsy
Diagnosing epilepsy is not an easy task, especially because people who have suffered a seizure are not able to recall this event. It is therefore usually recommended that one maintain a seizure journal and note down the frequency of its occurrence and the symptoms experienced.
If the seizure with accompanying symptoms occurs more than once in a day, consulting a neurosurgeon may be the best option.
Upon consultation, the doctor will most likely take some tests. These will be:-
- A clear assessment of the patient’s medical history.
- A physical exam where the doctor will suggest some laboratory tests such as kidney function, lung function, heart function etc.
- A neurological exam which involves examination of the brain and the nervous system. Here, the doctor will see if the patient’s neurological functions such as speech and memory are getting affected or not.
- The doctor will also suggest the patient to get an EEG or electroensephalography. This measures the brain’s wavelength.
- The doctor will also suggest neuroimaging tests such as a CT scan, MRI, PET tests, and MEG tests. Sometimes, a MRS is also recommended.
- The doctor may also suggest an ultrasound.
Epilepsy treatment process
Epilepsy treatment process is variously carried out via nonsurgical and surgical means. The treatment plan charted takes into account the severity of the seizures and its symptoms.
1. Non-surgical methods
In the epilepsy treatment process, the doctor will first prescribe anti-seizure medications. Alongside this, the doctor will suggest making some dietary changes such as going on a ketogenic diet.
2. Surgical methods
In the case when these two methods have failed, the doctor will most likely recommend a brain surgery.
Another surgical method involves the use of a device called Vagus Nerve Stimulator. This Vagus Nerve Stimulator is placed under the chest’s skin and works to stimulate the nerves of the surrounding area.
Surgical intervention
In an epilepsy surgery, the place of the brain where it occurs, is surgically removed.
There are various kinds of epilepsy surgery such as resective surgery or a corpus callosotomy. Each of these subcategories treat different areas of the brain.
For instance, in a resective surgery, the temporal lobes which are responsible for language, memory, and emotions, are operated on. In a corpus callosotomy, the corpus callosum which connects the left-side nerves of the brain to the right-side nerves, is operated on
Surgical procedure of epilepsy
The surgery commences under general anesthesia.
After this, the surgeon monitors the brain wave via the ECG machine which will be attached to the patient. In addition to this, the patient’s vital organs such as heart rate and blood pressure will also be monitored.
Following this, the surgeon removes the part of the brain which is affected.
In order to be more precise, the surgeon may also ask the patient during surgery to speak so as to assess the condition and perform the surgery accordingly. If this is required, then a local or regional anesthesia with painkillers will be injected instead of administration of general anesthesia.
The surgeon completes the surgery by closing the stitches and applying bandages in the area.
Recovery from epilepsy surgery
After the surgery, the patient is moved into the recovery room at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Here the patient will be kept for a day and his/her response will be monitored.
Upon waking up, the patient may feel pain with swelling and bruising. Medicines are provided to control this. For the first two-three weeks the patient is strongly advised to relax. Following this, the patient may increase activity if required.
It takes a total of three months to get back to normal activities.
Epilepsy surgery risk
The risks associated with epilepsy surgery are:-
- Visual impairment
- Language problems
- Memory problems
- Stroke
- Depression
- Pain in the head
Because there are various subcategories of epilepsy surgery, it is best to discuss the specific risk potential with the associated surgeon before going in for surgery.
Epilepsy treatment success rate
Epilepsy treatment success rate is determined by whether the patient has seizures in the following two years or not, after the surgery which is advised when non-surgical methods have failed.
If there is no seizure in the first two years, then it is most unlikely that the patient will have a seizure for the following ten years. The epilepsy treatment success rate thus ranges from 87- 90% and then to over 95%.
How can MyMedTrip.com help you?
If you have decided to travel to India for Epilepsy Treatment, you may contact us on our Whatsapp number +91 9818237391 or email us at hi@mymedtrip.com The first consultation arranged by us is free of cost! We also provide visa invitation letters and help in facilitating the medical journey to India.
Throughout the journey, you shall be provided with one of our staff members for proper guidance through linguistic barriers, even though most of the hospitals and doctors we feature are well versed with Arabic, Russian,Bengali, and English.
If you have any further queries or questions related to Epilepsy Treatment services in India, please do not hesitate to email us at the aforementioned address.
Frequently Asked Questions about Epilepsy Treatment
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a condition of the brain which results in unforeseeable seizures and abnormal changes in a person’s behaviour.
What are its most common symptoms?
The most common symptoms of epilepsy are recurrent seizures.
What are some risk factors?
People who are more prone to epilepsy are children and elderly people, people with several kinds of autistic disorder, people who have had a sudden head injury, people with brain infection, people suffering from Alzheimer’s, people with brain tumours etc.
What are the various types of epileptic seizures?
There are two types of seizures which are general and partial. In a general seizure, there is the capacity of the entirety of the brain to be affected. In a partial seizure, only a part of the brain may be affected.
What are the various tests used to diagnose epilepsy?
The various tests used for the diagnosis of epilepsy are MRI, CT scan, PET, MEG, MRS, ultrasound, EEG, and organ function tests.
What is the epilepsy treatment procedure?
Epilepsy treatment procedure includes nonsurgical and surgical methods.
What is the non-surgical epilepsy treatment procedure?
The non-surgical epilepsy treatment procedure includes anti-epileptic medications and dietary changes.
How long does it take to recover from epilepsy surgery?
It may take a minimum of three months to recover from epilepsy surgery.
What are some of the risks of epilepsy surgery?
Some risks of epilepsy surgery include visual impairment, language problems, memory problems, stroke, depression, and pain in the head.
What is the epilepsy treatment success rate?
The epilepsy treatment success rate ranges from 87- 90% till the first two years, and then goes over 95% if the person has not had any seizure in the past two years post epilepsy surgery.
Can the doctors and hospitals in India be trusted with this procedure?
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