Dr. Mohana Rao Patibandla cites 92 epilepsy surgeries and calls for earlier pediatric evaluation

Dr. Mohana Rao Patibandla says children with drug-resistant epilepsy should be assessed early for possible surgery, after reporting 92 epilepsy surgery procedures in his clinical experience. The message is aimed at families weighing whether persistent seizures could justify a specialist workup and a broader treatment plan.

Why it matters: - Children whose seizures persist despite medication may have drug-resistant epilepsy, a condition that can affect development, learning, behavior and quality of life. - Early specialist evaluation can help determine whether surgery or another advanced treatment could improve seizure control while protecting brain function. - The International League Against Epilepsy recognizes epilepsy surgery evaluation as an important pathway for appropriately selected patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, including children.

What happened: - Dr. Mohana Rao Patibandla, a fellowship-trained epilepsy surgeon and pediatric neurosurgeon in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, highlighted the role of timely epilepsy surgery evaluation for children. - Patibandla said his clinical experience includes 92 epilepsy surgery procedures, including cases involving pediatric epilepsy. - The discussion was framed around when children with ongoing seizures should be referred for a specialized epilepsy surgery assessment.

The details: - Epilepsy is not a single disease, and seizures can arise from different regions or networks of the brain. - A referral for epilepsy surgery evaluation does not mean surgery will be recommended. - A comprehensive evaluation is done first to identify the seizure source, assess whether the epileptogenic region can be safely treated and select the right approach. - Presurgical workup may include seizure history, clinical assessment, prolonged video-EEG monitoring, high-resolution epilepsy-protocol MRI, PET or SPECT imaging, neuropsychological testing, language and memory evaluation, and functional mapping when needed. - Selected complex cases may require invasive intracranial EEG monitoring to define the seizure-onset zone. - Available treatments may include resective surgery, disconnective surgery, minimally invasive ablative procedures and other neuromodulatory approaches. - Some children have focal structural abnormalities such as focal cortical dysplasia that can be identified on imaging, while others need more extensive evaluation because the seizure network is harder to localize. - Dr. Rao’s Hospital – International Institute of Neurosciences in Guntur provides neurological, neurosurgical and spine care, including epilepsy and pediatric neurosurgery.

Between the lines: - The core message is not that more children should get surgery, but that more children with persistent seizures may need earlier assessment to see whether surgery is even an option. - Patibandla stressed that the key question is whether the seizure-producing region can be accurately identified and treated while preserving movement, language, memory and cognition. - The reported 92-case figure reflects cumulative surgical experience and does not guarantee outcomes or mean every child is a candidate for surgery. - The hospital and physician presentation ties seizure control to broader goals such as safety, school participation, independence and developmental progress.

What’s next: - Parents are encouraged to seek specialist epilepsy evaluation when a child keeps having seizures despite appropriate treatment or when seizures are linked to developmental, cognitive, behavioral or educational concerns. - The next step in any case is a comprehensive epilepsy workup to determine whether the child has drug-resistant epilepsy and whether surgery or another advanced option could help. - Further treatment decisions depend on individualized findings and multidisciplinary review.

The bottom line: - Persistent childhood seizures warrant prompt expert evaluation, because surgery may help some children — but only after careful testing shows the benefits outweigh the risks.