“Saving the soul” of a 25-year-old young girl living with epilepsy

24/06/2019 16:04

“A beautiful girl, living in Saigon, 29 years old, but suffered 25 years from epilepsy, having days of 40 seizures, hearing numbers is hard to imagine what patient suffered. But asking for her situation, having a daughter, the husband left because he thought his wife was mentally ill, only her mother beside her took care of her daughter, telling the story about her child, whose mother cried, her mother together with her back and forth from the North to the South to cure the disease, drink up to 7 types of epilepsy drugs … Perhaps the last stop at Viet Duc Hospital when we decided to operate, and after the time the smile appeared on the face, no more convulsions, hope the girl will do it again from here … ”

 

These are the opening lines of the story about finding a smile for patient shared by Dr. Tran Dinh Van – Neurosurgery Center, Viet Duc Hospital.

 

Ms. T.N.T, 29, 25 years living with epilepsy, has treated many places and in August 2018, the opportunity to take her to Viet Duc Hospital. The patient was consulted with the Council of Epidemiology of Viet Duc Hospital and Saint Anne Epilepsy Council from France: diagnosing drug resistance seizures, dysplasia of the frontal lobes. The doctors decided to operate to remove the lesions. Currently, after surgery, Ms. T. no longer has seizures, no complications, no depression and confidence to return her normal life.

 

Dr. Tran Dinh Van said: The journey to find a smile, give the belief and hope to Ms. T is a long journey of endless hope of her mother and the efforts of a young girl. To become a candidate for epilepsy surgery must also follow certain rules, the patient must ensure at least 2 of 3 conditions: Clinical must be consistent with EEG; Magnetic resonance images must find vulnerability (indicated to be taken in major neurosurgery centers, according to international standard protocol. Patient must be treated with appropriate antiepileptic drugs for at least 2 years. The patient was evaluated for psychological testing prior surgery, consultation and surgery plan, and doctors used microscope associated navigation system and laparoscopic surgery. Using electroencephalography during surgery is also indicated to localize lesions.

 

With the success rate of epilepsy region epilepsy lesions: hippocampal sclerosis, brain cortex dysplasia, low-grade brain tumors, the rate is 75-85%.

 

For other epilepsy such as atonic seizures, the rate of success is between 50 % and 60% (seizure reduction).

 

In addition to the surgical management to remove the lesion, there are others such as X-stimulation, deep brain stimulation surgery, which are also being prepared in Viet Duc Hospital.

“Seeing the children with epilepsy, parents do not dare to send their children to school, keep them at home, because of poor education, inferiority complex, depression, or they seem to have lost hope … Hundreds of stories have encountered making us more determined to treat the patients, even though there are many difficulties and challenges, ” said Dr. Tran Dinh Van.

 

Social Work Department