Hemispherectomy Epileptic Attacks And Losing One Hemisphere Of Your Brain

Hemispherectomy Epileptic Attacks And Losing One Hemisphere Of Your Brain

Hemispherectomy is a surgical treatment for epilepsy that removes one of the two cerebral hemispheres of the brain. Removing or disconnecting the focus from the rest of the brain can reduce seizure frequency and intensity.

There are epileptic people with no single focus. If there are multiple focal points within one hemisphere, or if the focus is undefined but restricted to one hemisphere, hemispherectomy may be indicated for treatment, explained Science Daily.

A surgeon can remove the entire hemisphere of the brain, since multiple seizures damage it anyway and the other side has already assumed the function of the damaged part.

However, children who undergo hemispherectomy will have more significant impairments because of epilepsy. It will either result to (1) partial or complete paralysis or (2) partial or complete loss of sensation on the side of the body opposite to the affecting the brain.

The patients that can go through this surgery are those who cant be treated by any medications. There are different kinds of diseases that trigger epilepsy such as:

Neonatal brain injury

Rasmussen disease

Hemimegalencephaly

Sturge-Weber syndrome


Risky surgery

The patient may have hemorrhage during surgery or post-surgery. If its blood clotting, it can be managed with anticoagulant drugs. There are other risks such as:

Aseptic meningitis- an inflammation of the brain's covering without infection

Hydrocephalus- increased fluid pressure within the remaining brain

Death from surgery

Lose of sensation or muscle control in the extremities on the side opposite the removed hemisphere

In Stamford, Justin Nemchek, a 13-year-old patient who underwent a 13-hour hemispherectomy brain surgery, was successful. Dr. Mark Souweidane, director of pediatric neurosurgery and vice chair of neurological surgery at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center explained that Nemcheks arteriovenous malformation was removed since it hasnt been functioning ever since he had a stroke in 2003.

The boy has an incision that begins at the top of his right ear and splits, one side curving down to the base of his neck and the other to the top of his dark buzz cut.


Legal Issues

Brain surgery is very complicated and is considered as high risk by doctors. Those victims who suffer brain injury because of accidents, the negligent party is to blame. If this is the case, having a traumatic brain injury lawyer is advisable since they know more about such casesspecifically the latest developments in this area of law. They will advise their clients and guide them on the legal process.

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