Medial Temporal Lobectomy Aids Seizure Outcomes in Epilepsy

MONDAY, April 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Medial temporal lobectomy is effective in improving seizure outcomes among patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy, according to a study published online March 6 in Cureus.

In a prospective cohort interventional study conducted in Egypt between 2022 and 2024, Sameh M. Salama, Ph.D., from the Al-Azhar University of Medicine in Cairo, and colleagues assessed epilepsy control after medial temporal lobectomy (with or without amygdalohippocampectomy) for management of drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. Postoperative seizure control was evaluated using the Engel classification scale during follow-up and withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs.

The researchers found that seizure control improved after medial temporal lobectomy. At final follow-up, 15 respondents (75 percent) reached Engel class I (no seizures) and five respondents (25 percent) reached Engel class II (rare, nondisabling seizures).

“These results support surgical management as an essential treatment option for medically refractory epilepsy and highlight the importance of identifying patients for early surgical evaluation,” Salama and colleagues conclude. “More studies with bigger sample sizes along with extended follow-up periods should be performed to improve patient selection criteria and surgical methods that enhance patient outcomes.”

Abstract/Full Text