“Focal Cortical Resection” is a term we’re having to become a little more acquainted with these days. We met with Hannah’s neurologist on Thursday to discuss her test results and where we go from here. Looks like surgery is the "best" option available to us. Her tests indicate that the seizures are originating somewhere in the left frontal lobe.
The surgery would be a Focal Cortical Resection and would actually involve two different procedures. During the first procedure, the surgeon will make an incision, remove the bone, pull back the dura and then place a grid of electrodes directly on the surface of the brain. They will then put the bone back, or maybe just put it in the freezer (not kidding), and stitch her back up. Then for the next 5-7 days they monitor electrical activity from the grid of electrodes to try and pinpoint further the location of the seizures. They also send electrical impulses to these electrodes to see what parts of her body responds (moves).
The hope is that the electrodes that indicate where the seizure originates from are not the same electrodes that cause movement. If they are, the second phase of surgery cannot be done. The second procedure would be the actual resection to remove as much as possible (the more that is removed the higher the success rate of eliminating seizures).
All the docs (neurologists, surgeons, psychiatrists, etc) are meeting Monday June 1st, to discuss Hannah’s case and then we should be scheduling the surgery. Will probably be sometime in July, and she’ll be in the hospital for about two weeks.
As you can imagine we’re very conflicted about her treatment. She is having 10+ seizures a day (and more while she sleeps). As one medical paper puts it, she needs surgery "…before irreversible deterioration in cognitive or psychosocial functions ensues due to long-standing disabling seizures and chronic antiepileptic drug-related side effects." On the other hand, the success rate of surgery is 50-60% runs the risk of her losing movement, and more… The frontal lobe controls emotions, reasoning, planning, movement, and parts of speech. It is also involved in purposeful acts such as creativity, judgment, problem solving, and planning. That’s a lot of stuff!
If you’re praying for her, keep it up. Thanks.
What a hard decision you guys have to make! I will continue to keep praying for Hannah and all of you.
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