What is involved in the sphenoidal electrode insertion and will it hurt?
Your epilepsy doctor will decide if special electrodes are needed to record from the “temporal lobes.” The Epilepsy Team physician will first administer local anesthesia to numb each facial cheek area. A special electrode, which looks like a fine piece of thread, is then placed in each jaw muscle to record brain wave activity from deeper areas of the brain. These electrodes may cause some soreness and jaw opening may be decreased somewhat. All other electrodes will be placed on the scalp with special glue. • Will I have an Intravenous line? Yes. A small IV will be started in one arm to allow quick treatment if seizures become longer, stronger or more frequent than usual. When not in use, it is capped off, and not attached to any lines or drips. • Will having more seizures hurt my brain? Our goal is to capture examples of your typical seizures without causing harm. We taper your medication slowly. In some cases, medications may be stopped completely. You may be sleep deprived (kept awak
