Tran VD, Nguyen BT, Dong HV, Lieber BA, Bista J, Vu HV, Bui TN, Chu HT, Nguyen PX, Nguyen TA, Ono T, Trieu ST, Nhu SD
Abstract
-BACKGROUND: Epilepsy surgery is traditionally difficult to pursue in resource-limited countries but is nevertheless essential in the treatment of medication-refractory, surgi-cally amenable epilepsy.-METHODS: With the help of international collaboration, a successful epilepsy program was started in Vietnam. This article comprises a retrospective chart review, combined with prospective longitudinal follow-up of 35 cases of u nilateral drug-resistant epilepsy in the temporal lobe who u nderwent temporal lobectomy, in Viet Duc University Hospital from May 2018 to September 2022.-RESULTS: The female/male ratio was 0.6:1, and focal seizures with impaired awareness accounted for 97.14% of patients. Of patients with focal awareness seizures, 51.41% were localized and detected by electroencephalography. Postoperatively, 80% of patients were seizure free (Engel I) at 1 year, and the remaining 20% had worthwhile seizure improvement (Engel II). Postoperative temporal lobe pa-thology was categorized as follows: mesial temporal sclerosis (48.57%), focal cortical dysplasia (25.71%), and low-grade neoplasms (25.71%). Of patients, 17.14% had postoperative complications (5 infections and 1 transient extremity paresis), and there were no deaths.-CONCLUSIONS: Even in low-resource environments, effective and safe surgical care can be provided for drug -resistant epilepsy caused by temporal lobe disease. This study serves as a model of international collaboration and support for future hospitals in low-resource environments replicate.
