Epilepsy Surgery Leads to Seizure Freedom | Duke Health

Is epilepsy surgery right for you? https://www.dukehealth.org/treatments...

Andrew Vandenberg had suffered from seizures since he was a child. He was able to control his epilepsy with medications through adolescence, but after suffering three or four seizures over one summer, Vandenberg knew he needed more than medication. Vandenberg came to Duke Health and met with epileptologist, Matthew Luedke, MD.

Duke offers comprehensive epilepsy treatment to reduce or eliminate seizures. Although medications control seizures in many people with epilepsy, some require more advanced care if their seizures remain uncontrolled, if they are experiencing unwanted side effects from medications, or if they have other concerns.

If the seizure focus, the area where your seizures originate, can be determined and destroyed or removed, the chance of eliminating seizures altogether is higher with surgery than with other treatment methods.

After undergoing testing it was determined that Vandenberg was eligible for epilepsy surgery. Today, he is seizure-free and has even obtained his driver's license.

00:00 Intro
00:32 What is medications don't control my seizures?
01:03 Is epilepsy surgery right for me?
02:17 What is it like to be seizure-free?