Outcomes after resective epilepsy surgery in patients over 50 years of age in Sweden 1990-2009-A prospective longitudinal study

• Purpose: Most epilepsy surgery candidates are young adults. Outcome reports after epilepsy surgery in patients >= 50 years are few and varying. The aim of this study was to describe patient characteristics of older compared to younger adults and analyse seizure, complication and vocational outcomes in a large population-based series. Methods: We analysed data from the Swedish National Epilepsy Surgery Register for 1990-2009 for patients >= 19 years at resective surgery who had completed two-year follow-up. Variables studied were seizure outcome, histo-pathological diagnoses, complications and vocational outcome. Data from patients >= 50 years and 19-49 years at surgery were compared. Results: 558 Adults underwent resective epilepsy surgery 1990-2009 and had two-year follow-up. 12% of the adults (67 patients) were >= 50 years at surgery. Patients >= 50 had longer epilepsy duration, more often had mesial sclerosis and less often had neurodevelopmental tumours and cortical malformations. The proportion of seizure-free patients at two-year follow-up did not differ between those >= 50 and 1949 years (61% versus 61% seizure-free last year, 48% versus 43% completely seizure-free since surgery), neither did the occurrence of major complications (3% in both groups). The vocational situation was mainly stable between baseline and two-year follow-up in both groups, although older patients were less often employed than younger. Conclusion: 12% of adults in the Swedish series were >= 50 years at epilepsy surgery. Seizure outcome was as good for older as for younger adults, and there was no difference in the occurrence of major complications. This constitutes important information in the presurgical counselling process.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Neurovetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Neurosciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Epilepsy surgery

Seizure outcome

Complications

Elderly

TEMPORAL-LOBE EPILEPSY

SURGICAL-TREATMENT

OLDER PATIENT

LOBECTOMY

ADULTS

TRIAL

Clinical Neurology

Neurosciences

LACHLAN RS

1992

NEUROLOGY

V42

P662

Epilepsy surgery

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)