Magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial therapy (MRgLITT) is as efficacious as open surgery for patients with medically intractable epilepsy, according to a recent review of the research literature.
- MRgLITT can effectively ablate seizure foci without disrupting neuropsychological functioning.
- The procedure allows clinicians to receive real-time feedback and lets them monitor tissue ablation.
- By contrast, open surgery can control seizures but risks complications, including cognitive problems and neurologic deficits.
- Patients who undergo MRgLITT will likely spend less time in the hospital and experience less postoperative pain, when compared to open surgical procedures.
- Although the research comparing open surgery to laser interstitial therapy suggests the latter offers advantages, the review points out that the research under consideration involved small sample sizes.
- Another limitation of the available studies is that they do not report the long-term outcomes of MRgLITT.
Shukla ND, Ho AL, Pendharkar AV, Sussman ES, Halpern CH. Laser interstitial thermal therapy for the treatment of epilepsy: evidence to date. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2017;13:2469-2475.
