# Epilepsy surgery Keywords: - [neurosurgery](< /en/search?q=neurosurgery >) - [epilepsy](< /en/search?q=epilepsy >) - [epilepsy surgery](< /en/search?q=epilepsy surgery >) - ... Show all keywords - [Neurocenter](< /en/search?q=Neurocenter >) We have been performing epilepsy surgery at HUS since the early 1990s. Nowadays, we perform 25 to 30 epilepsy surgeries per year. One third of these are on adult patients and two thirds on children.  In Finland, epilepsy surgery is performed at Kuopio University Hospital in addition to HUS. We treat children from across the country. Epilepsy surgery is considered if the patient continues to suffer debilitating epileptic seizures when on medication. In children, severe epilepsy can hinder development, and therefore surgical treatment may need to be considered quite soon after the child presents with epilepsy. For some patients with severe epilepsy, surgery offers the chance to stop the seizures altogether or at least alleviate them significantly. However, not all patients with severe epilepsy can be helped with surgery. But when investigating the potential for surgery, we can narrow down the type of seizure and thereby have a greater chance of finding the appropriate medication. In some cases, we can suggest dietary treatment or vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), where electric shocks are sent to the brain through a vagus nerve stimulator installed under the skin. ## Planning surgical treatment and procedure types --- Before any surgery, we weigh its potential benefit against its potential risks. We investigate whether the area of the brain causing the seizures can be precisely defined, whether it can be completely removed without adverse impacts, and how close it is to the motor cortex, the speech center and the visual cortex. We use a variety of examinations, customized for each patient. In surgery, the goal is to completely remove the area of the brain that is causing seizures. This may be only a tiny portion of a brain lobe or, in extreme cases, an entire hemisphere. In most cases, the area of the brain that is causing the epilepsy is obviously abnormal both functionally and structurally, and this shows up in an MRI scan of the brain. Mild developmental disorders in the brain are not always visible in an MRI, but if the area causing seizures can be determined with sufficient accuracy by other means, then it can be surgically treated. If we are unable to remove the area of the brain causing the epilepsy, we can in some cases alleviate the seizures by severing the nerve pathways along which the seizure impulses propagate. ## Preoperative examinations --- Before any operation, we consider which examinations will be useful for planning the procedure. These examinations are intended for instance for locating the area of the brain causing the seizures. In a video EEG examination, we simultaneously register an electroencephalogram and a video image, and an MRI scan of the brain provides us with anatomically accurate images. We can also measure things like blood circulation and electromagnetic fields in the seizure area and the metabolism of the brain. We can pinpoint areas governing speech and memory and perform visual field examinations and intracranial EEG registrations to measure neural activity accurately. The examinations and related analyses usually take a few months to complete. Investigating the potential for surgery and then waiting for and undergoing the procedure is often a prolonged and arduous process. We can arrange for appointments with a psychiatrist or child psychiatrist while considering whether to go ahead with surgery. ## Temporal lobe epilepsy is often treatable with surgery --- Temporal lobe epilepsy is the best known adult epilepsy that is poorly controlled with medication and can usually be treated with surgery. Typical seizures in this type of epilepsy start with an epileptic aura and continue as absence seizures. MRI scans may show scarring and loss of nerve cells on the inner surface of the temporal lobe (mesial temporal sclerosis). A normal MRI scan of the brain does not exclude the possibility of surgery in temporal lobe epilepsy. In the procedure, we remove part of the anterior temporal lobe and its damaged interior. Before the operation, we examine whether the damage is limited to one of the temporal lobes and whether the other temporal lobe that will not be touched is sufficiently functional. Studies show that 70% to 80% of patients undergoing this temporal lobe operation are completely seizure-free afterwards. Epilepsy medication is continued after the operation, but reducing the medication can be considered if there are no more seizures. With children, we are able in some cases to completely discontinue the epilepsy medication. Likelihood to recommend (NPS) ## Neurocenter Feedback (pcs) 4958 Situation 2.5.2026 -100 83 100 i What is NPS? ## Units related to the service ### [ Anesthesia and Surgery Unit, Bridge Hospital ](/en/patient/hospitals-and-other-units/meilahti-bridge-hospital/anesthesia-and-surgery-unit-bridge) In the Anesthesia and Surgery Unit at Bridge Hospital, we perform operations in the specialties of neurosurgery, orthopedics and traumatology, hand surgery… ### [ Anesthesia and Surgery Unit, New Children's Hospital ](/en/patient/hospitals-and-other-units/new-childrens-hospital/anesthesia-and-surgery-unit-new-childrens) In the Anesthesia and Surgery Unit of New Children's Hospital, we treat patients under the age of 16.  ## Further information on this topic ### [ Epilepsia Helsinki ](/en/patient/treatments-and-examinations/epilepsia-helsinki)  ### [ Neuropsychological Assessment and Rehabilitation ](/en/patient/treatments-and-examinations/neuropsychological-assessment-and-rehabilitation)  Updated: 12.01.2026 Print this page