Sarah Wilson, PhD: Managing Post-Operative Patients With Epilepsy
The clinical neuropsychologist and head of the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Melbourne detailed how the transition from states of illness to wellness after epilepsy surgery can result not just in brain changes, but psychosocial challenges for patients.
“It’s a complex set of issues that we’re helping the patient, and the family, navigate. We know from the work we’ve done looking at post-operative adjustment, family dynamics and carer roles, all those things change as well, and they’re equally as important to the success and the outcome of the patient.”
When it comes to the post-operative management of patients with epilepsy, much and more goes into their care. As Sarah Wilson, PhD, clinical neuropsychologist, and head, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, has pointed out, the processes are not that dissimilar to the rehabilitation of patients who have had a stroke in terms of taking a team-based approach.
The adjustments after resective surgery for individuals with epilepsy can include the experience of cognitive and memory challenges, and the neurorehabilitation process can often include a multidisciplinary team to ensure that patient outcomes are the best possible. Wilson spoke to NeurologyLive® at the 2019 International Epilepsy Congress, June 22-26, in Bangkok, Thailand, about what this can include.
She detailed the impact that this can have on family dynamics and carer roles for the patient, and how this transition into a well state from a state of illness may need to be addressed psychosocially in addition to any possible brain changes that have occurred.
For more coverage of IEC 2019, click here.
REFERENCES
Coleman H, McIntosh A, Wilson S. Living with epilepsy: patient perceptions of their epilepsy and its treatment 15 to 20 years after epilepsy surgery. Presented at: 2019 International Epilepsy Congress. June 22-26, 2019; Bangkok, Thailand. P348.
