How does hemispherectomy affect mature adults?

Conclusion: Favorable seizure control and acceptable functional outcome can be achieved by FH in adults with intractable epilepsy. The risk of postoperative deficits is moderate and even older patients are able to manage postoperative motor impairment.

Can adults have a hemispherectomy?

Significance: Hemispherectomy in adults is a safe and effective procedure, with seizure freedom rates and functional outcome similar to those observed in children.

Can you live with half a brain?

“As remarkable as it is that there are individuals who can live with half a brain, sometimes a very small brain lesion — like a stroke or a traumatic brain injury or a tumor — can have devastating effects,” she noted.

How long does it take to recover from a hemispherectomy?

Most people feel normal and can go back to work, school, and their usual lives about 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. You’ll most likely have to keep taking your seizure medication for at least 2 years, even if you don’t have any seizures.

What are the effects of a hemispherectomy?

Hemispherectomy causes loss of movement and/or sensation on the side of the body opposite the hemisphere that was removed. Your child will need rehabilitation to help them with weakness, movement problems, difficulty in walking and speech problems.

Can you live with only one brain hemisphere?

The team found that, among patients with only one brain hemisphere, brain regions involved in the same network (such as vision) worked together just as well as those in healthy patients who had their entire brains intact.

How long does it take to recover from hemispherectomy?

Behaviour was evaluated on the basis of parental report. There were 21 males and 12 females aged 0.33–17 years (median 4.25 years) at surgery who were followed for 1–8 years (median 3.4 years) after surgery. Thirty functional and three anatomical hemispherectomy procedures were undertaken of which 17 were right‐sided and 16 were left‐sided.

What are the clinical outcomes of hemispherectomy in children?

This study reports on the clinical course and outcomes of 33 children who underwent hemispherectomy at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, between 1991 and 1997. Age at surgery was 0.33–17 years (median 4.25) with 1–8 years follow‐up (median 3.4).

What are the side effects of a hemispherectomy?

The popularity of anatomical hemispherectomy subsequently declined in the late 1960s because of the delayed complications of the procedure ( Oppenheimer and Griffith, 1966; Till, 1967; Brett, 1969 ), which included obstructive hydrocephalus, superficial haemosiderosis and intracranial haematomata in as many as 33% patients ( Rasmussen, 1983 ).

When does a hemispherectomy lead to seizure freedom?

However, when a functional hemispherectomy does not lead to seizure freedom, redoing as anatomic hemispherectomy may lead to seizure freedom in a third of patients. Is a hemispherectomy inpatient or outpatient? Inpatient. Your child will have to spend time in the hospital. A. Coronal MRI at level of anterior frontal lobe.