Select the right drugs, use an adequate dose and for a sufficient duration under the advice of an epilepsy specialist.
Before starting a formal medication treatment plan, the doctor needs to know the longest period of time you have been seizure-free in the past. After formal medication treatment, if the seizure-free duration reaches three times the previously mentioned period or 12 months (whichever is longer), it can be considered that the medication has effectively controlled the seizures.
Epilepsy is a complex brain network disorder. Modern medicine pays more attention to the localization of the seizure origin, namely the epileptogenic zone. Through comprehensive examination and evaluation, doctors can classify epilepsy patients into three major categories: focal epilepsy, generalized epilepsy, and epilepsy of unknown origin. For patients with focal epilepsy, the epileptogenic zone may be a single lesion or multiple lesions, and may even involve the entire cerebral hemisphere. Although seizures in these patients usually follow a relatively fixed pattern, there may still be some differences in the specific manifestations of each episode. Among adult patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, the most common type is focal epilepsy caused by structural abnormalities in the brain.
If the location of the epileptic focus is clearly identified and does not involve important functional areas of the brain, open resection surgery may be considered after the doctor assesses that the surgical risks are controllable.