What is intractable epilepsy?
Intractable epilepsy is a form of epilepsy where seizures cannot be controlled by medication. What is the treatment for intractable epilepsy? Some children with intractable epilepsy are put on a ketogenic diet. This is a very strict diet that’s high in fats and low in carbohydrates and protein. This diet produces a by-product in the body called ketones. High concentrations of ketones can control seizures. The most common treatment for intractable epilepsy is surgery. There are four major types of epilepsy surgery: • Resective surgery. The part of the brain that causes seizures is removed. This often cures epilepsy. • Corpus callosotomy. The nerve fibers between the two sides of the brain are severed (cut). This interrupts the spread of seizures from one side of the brain to the other. The result is that seizures become less severe. • Vagus nerve stimulation. A small device called a vagus nerve stimulator is implanted beneath the skin of the chest. A thin wire that’s attached to the dev
