MRI-guided stereotactic laser ablation (MRI-SLA) seems to offer advantages over more traditional open resection in patients requiring epileptic surgery, according to a recent review of the evidence.
- MRI-SLA has been found to improve several types of cognitive outcomes when compared to open surgery.
- Daniel Drane, MD, from Emory University points out that stereotactic laser ablation reduces collateral neurological damage.
- Stereotatic laser amygdalohippocampotomy may result in better neurological functioning in areas that include category related naming, verbal fluency, and object/familiar person recognition, when compared to traditional resection.
- The evidence suggests that using a neurosurgical technique like MRI-SLE offers advantages in patients undergoing epilepsy surgery by limiting the size of the surgical lesion zone.
Drane DL. MRI-Guided stereotactic laser ablation for epilepsy surgery: Promising preliminary results for cognitive outcome. [Published online ahead of print Sept 23, 2017] Epilepsy Res. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2017.09.016
