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Purpose: Underutilization of epilepsy surgery remains a major problem and is in part due to physicians' misconceptions about the risks associated with epilepsy surgery. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature on complications of focal epilepsy surgery., Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Embase to identify studies examining epilepsy surgery complications. Abstract and full text review, along with data extraction, was done in duplicate. Minor medical and neurologic complications were defined as those that resolved completely within 3 months of surgery, whereas major complications persisted beyond that time frame. Descriptive statistics were used to report complication proportions., Key Findings: Invasive monitoring: Minor complications were reported in 7.7% of patients, whereas major complications were reported in only 0.6% of patients undergoing invasive monitoring. Resective surgery: Minor and major medical complications were reported in 5.1% and 1.5% of patients respectively, most common being cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. Minor neurologic complications occurred in 10.9% of patients and were twice as frequent in children (11.2% vs. 5.5%). Minor visual field defects were most common (12.9%). Major neurologic complications were noted in 4.7% of patients, with the most common being major visual field defects (2.1% overall). Perioperative mortality was uncommon after epilepsy surgery, occurring in only 0.4% of temporal lobe patients (1.2%extratemporal)., Significance: The majority of complications after epilepsy surgery are minor or temporary as they tend to resolve completely. Major permanent neurologic complications remain uncommon. Mortality as a result of epilepsy surgery in the modern era is rare., (Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2013 International League Against Epilepsy.)

Purpose: Epilepsy surgery is a safe surgical procedure, but it may be associated with cognitive changes. Estimates of the risk of decline in specific neuropsychological domains after epilepsy surgery would assist surgical decision making in clinical practice. The goal of this study was to conduct a systematic review to derive pooled estimates of the rate of losses and gains in neuropsychological functions after epilepsy surgery, using empirically based methods for quantifying cognitive change., Methods: An extensive literature search using PubMed, EmBase, and the Cochrane database was conducted, yielding 5,061 articles on epilepsy surgery, with 193 on neuropsychological outcomes (IQ, memory, language, executive functioning, attention, and subjective cognitive changes)., Key Findings: Of these, 23 met final eligibility criteria, with 22 studies involving temporal surgery only. Key aspects of inclusion criteria were N ≥ 20 and use of reliable change index or standardized regression-based change estimates. In addition to the proportion of patients experiencing losses and gains in each individual test, a single pooled estimate of gains and losses for each cognitive domain was derived using a random effects model. Weighted estimates indicated a risk to verbal memory with left-sided temporal surgery of 44%, twice as high as the rate for right-sided surgery (20%). Naming was reduced in 34% of left-sided temporal patients, with almost no patients with gains (4%). Pooled data on IQ, executive functioning, and attention indicated few patients show declines post surgery, but a substantial rate of improvement in verbal fluency with left-sided temporal surgery (27%) was found. Self-reported cognitive declines after epilepsy surgery were uncommon, and gains were reported in some domains where losses were found on objective tests (i.e., verbal memory and language). Variations in surgical techniques did not appear to have a large effect on cognitive outcomes, except for naming outcomes, which appeared better with more conservative resections. Sensitivity to postoperative changes differed across visual memory tests, but not verbal memory tests. Few conclusions could be made regarding cognitive risks and benefits of extratemporal epilepsy surgery, or of epilepsy surgery in children., Significance: In sum, epilepsy surgery is associated with specific cognitive changes, but may also improve cognition in some patients. The results provide base rate estimates of expected cognitive gains and losses associated with epilepsy surgery that may prove useful in clinical settings., (Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2011 International League Against Epilepsy.)

Purpose: The objective of this systematic review was to identify: (1) prevalence and severity of psychiatric conditions before and after resective epilepsy surgery, (2) incidence of postsurgical psychiatric conditions, and (3) predictors of psychiatric status after surgery., Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, EmBase, and the Cochrane database as part of a larger project on the development of an appropriateness and necessity rating tool to identify patients of all ages with potentially resectable focal epilepsy. The search yielded 5,061 articles related to epilepsy surgery and of the 763 articles meeting the inclusion criteria and reviewed in full text, 68 reported psychiatric outcomes. Thirteen articles met the final eligibility criteria., Key Findings: The studies demonstrated either improvements in psychiatric outcome postsurgery or no changes in psychiatric outcome. Only one study demonstrated deterioration in psychiatric status after surgery, with higher anxiety in the context of continued seizures post-surgery. One study reported a significantly increased rate of psychosis after surgery. The two main predictors of psychiatric outcome were seizure freedom and presurgical psychiatric history. De novo psychiatric conditions occurred postsurgery at a rate of 1.1-18.2%, with milder psychiatric issues (e.g., adjustment disorder) being more common than more severe psychiatric issues (e.g., psychosis)., Significance: Overall, studies demonstrated either improvement in psychiatric outcomes postsurgery or no change. However, there is a need for more prospective, well-controlled studies to better delineate the prevalence and severity of psychiatric conditions occurring in the context of epilepsy surgery, and to identify specific predictors of psychiatric outcomes after epilepsy surgery., (Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2011 International League Against Epilepsy.)