Abstracts

Rationale: Patients with localization related epilepsy who continue to have seizures after failure of multiple anti-epileptic medications are said to have refractory epilepsy. Approximately twenty to thirty percent of all epilepsy patients have medically refractory seizures. Methods: This poster will present a case study of a 29-year-old male with refractory epilepsy who underwent multiple epilepsy surgeries. Each step of his diagnostic process and surgical experience will be discussed, including scalp electrodes, depth wires, subdural grid placement, and finally an Anterior Temporal Lobectomy. Results: Diagnosis, nursing care, post-operative complications, particularly the development of bilateral epidural hematomas, and patient outcomes will be discussed in this poster presentation. Conclusions: Surgical evaluation is appropriate for patients with seizures thought to be focal in origin, those who are medically refractory, and whose quality of life are significantly impaired by their seizures. Passionate, highly trained Epilepsy Monitoring Nurses play an invaluable role in the diagnosis and treatment of these patients.