Epilepsy Surgery: A Paediatric Perspective

250,000 people in Australia live with Epilepsy and more than 40% of those are children. Medication is a first line, effective treatment. However, not all patients have the desired outcome of seizure reduction or cessation. In fact, 1 in 3 do not gain full seizure control with medication alone.

Epilepsy surgery, while not a new concept of treatment for seizure management, has gained significant traction in the past decade and has become a particular focus of the Neurology Department at The Children’s Hospital, Westmead. This is evident by the expansion of the Neuroscience ward for the precise purpose of surgical intervention for the treatment of Epilepsy and other seizure conditions.

The paediatric patient journey to surgery is a complex and intricate one. It involves a collaborative approach of the multidisciplinary teams from diagnosis and beyond, whilst maintaining a high standard of holistic, family centred care. This paper aims to discuss this journey and the impact it has on the patients, families and the nurses involved.