Brain surgery on a patient who suffered from epilepsy since infancy

Friday,  28  Июль  2023

NCN doctors performed brain surgery on a patient who suffered from epilepsy since infancy

Zhannat Talipbayeva, a patient of the Department of Brain Neurosurgery, shared the story of her diagnosis. According to the patient, epileptic seizures haunted her since her first year of life. “My mother told me when I was 1 year old, I had the first short-term epileptic seizure. At the moment of convulsions, I froze, my lips turned blue, and in the area of mouth turned white. At that time, they did not particularly believe in such diagnoses as epilepsy, and they treated me with unconventional methods, they thought the evil eye. Since the seizures did not stop and became even more frequent, at the age of six, the parents began to seek help from doctors. So, I started taking anticonvulsants. But over the years, the drugs began to help me less, the attacks became more frequent, every day, there were up to 3-4 convulsions per day with loss of consciousness, and after each attack, more and more time was needed to recover. I began to look for information where I could find a cure. On the Internet, I found the National Center for Neurosurgery, made an appointment with Dr. Gaukhar Ibatova. The doctor, after looking at my MRI images, sent me for additional examination to determine if I am a candidate for surgical treatment for epilepsy. She underwent an additional examination, including an ictal EEG, this is when the study itself is carried out during attacks. Based on all the data, I received an answer that my case is suitable for surgical treatment. A clear focus was identified and the disease was drug-resistant. Today has passed the 7th day after the operation, most importantly, there are no seizures. Now the doctors are correcting my medication,” Zhannat shared.

According to the neurologist-epileptologist Dr. Gaukhar Ibatova, according to EEG and MRI, the patient revealed a focus of epileptiform activity in the temporal lobe on the right. “We performed a microsurgical removal of the hypocampus on the right side of the patient using neuronavigation and electrocorticography with direct recording of the cerebral cortex. An extensive epileptogenic focus of the right temporal lobe with a diameter of 3*3 cm was removed. The complexity of the operation was associated with multiple pronounced adhesions of the frontal and temporal lobes. The spikes were also separated from the cerebral cortex. Our task was not only to strive for the totality of the removal of the focus, but also to preserve the quality of life of the patient. The presence of adhesions of the medulla with the membranes underlying it leads to a complication of the operation process, increasing the likelihood of damage to the cortical representations of the functional zones. We hope that this operation will significantly change the patient’s quality of life only for the better.” - shared the neurologist-epileptologist, professor of JSC "NCN" Dr. Gaukhar Ibatova.

The operation was successful, without neurological deficit for the patient. The patient has not had epileptic seizures since the day of the operation. This operation was performed on the patient within the framework of the state social insurance.
Such a highly complex operation was performed by Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan Prof. Serik Akshulakov, neurosurgeons of the Department of Brain Neurosurgery Dr. Muratbek Tleubergenov and Dr. Dauren Zhaksybaev. Also, a multidisciplinary team of doctors worked during the operation, which included the most experienced doctors - an anesthesiologist Dr. Raushan Tokshekenova and an epileptologist-neurophysiologist Dr. Gaukhar Ibatova.