Scholarlink

<p>In patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, surgical resection of the seizure focus may represent the best treatment option. In Georgia, a structured epilepsy surgery program was lacking until 2017, when a German-Georgian project was initiated to establish necessary facilities, define diagnostic and treatment standards, and educate local healthcare providers. After a scientific symposium in Tbilisi in 2017, six surgical intervention visits have taken place. Georgian epileptologists and a neuropsychologist visited the Berlin-Brandenburg Epilepsy Center to observe presurgical evaluation procedures. Surgical indications are made by the Georgian team and discussed with German epileptologists either in Tbilisi or via online conferences. Scientific and educational efforts have been launched to address drug-resistant epilepsy topics more broadly. Since 2018, 13&#xa0;patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis have undergone resective epilepsy surgery. In September 2023, seven patients with 12+ months follow-up were examined. Five patients became completely seizure-free (ILAE&#xa0;1), one had auras (ILAE&#xa0;2), and one had disabling seizures (ILAE&#xa0;4). Quality of life improved substantially, and antiseizure medication was reduced in many cases. Most patients reported better memory function and returned to work. All except one patient rated their surgery decision as “good”. Supporting complex medical procedures in regions in need can be rewarding but must meet specialized standards. The seizure outcomes in Georgia compare favorably with existing literature, showing that careful education and teamwork can achieve excellent results despite technical limitations. The teams have become close collaborators, and efforts continue to provide high-quality epilepsy surgery for the Georgian population.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Establishing epilepsy surgery in Georgia—a multinational project for exchange, education, and cooperation

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年1月21日

查看全文
  • Ulf C. Schneider,
  • Nino Gzirishvili,
  • Sofia Kasradze,
  • Vladimer Tsikarishvili,
  • Edisher Maghalashvili,
  • Peter Bäuerle,
  • Tamar Dugladze,
  • Tengis Gloveli,
  • Martin Holtkamp

摘要

In patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, surgical resection of the seizure focus may represent the best treatment option. In Georgia, a structured epilepsy surgery program was lacking until 2017, when a German-Georgian project was initiated to establish necessary facilities, define diagnostic and treatment standards, and educate local healthcare providers. After a scientific symposium in Tbilisi in 2017, six surgical intervention visits have taken place. Georgian epileptologists and a neuropsychologist visited the Berlin-Brandenburg Epilepsy Center to observe presurgical evaluation procedures. Surgical indications are made by the Georgian team and discussed with German epileptologists either in Tbilisi or via online conferences. Scientific and educational efforts have been launched to address drug-resistant epilepsy topics more broadly. Since 2018, 13 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis have undergone resective epilepsy surgery. In September 2023, seven patients with 12+ months follow-up were examined. Five patients became completely seizure-free (ILAE 1), one had auras (ILAE 2), and one had disabling seizures (ILAE 4). Quality of life improved substantially, and antiseizure medication was reduced in many cases. Most patients reported better memory function and returned to work. All except one patient rated their surgery decision as “good”. Supporting complex medical procedures in regions in need can be rewarding but must meet specialized standards. The seizure outcomes in Georgia compare favorably with existing literature, showing that careful education and teamwork can achieve excellent results despite technical limitations. The teams have become close collaborators, and efforts continue to provide high-quality epilepsy surgery for the Georgian population.