Antiseizure Medication Withdrawal Following Epilepsy Surgery

• Published in: Seminars in pediatric neurology Vol. 38; p. 100898
• Main Author: Romanowski, Erin M. Fedak
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.07.2021
• ISSN: 1071-9091; 1558-0776
• DOI: 10.1016/j.spen.2021.100898

As pediatric epilepsy surgery cases increase in number and complexity, there remains a paucity of data regarding how, when, and in whom to discontinue antiseizure medications postoperatively. The “TimeToStop” data has been influential to clinical practice, revealing that while early discontinuation of antiseizure medications may reveal surgical failures earlier, it does not ultimately lead to a change in long-term seizure outcomes. The authors of other studies have also shown cognitive improvements in children for whom medications were discontinued postoperatively. Survey results over the last 2 decades have shown that clinicians have started to discontinue antiseizure medications earlier. This is an individualized decision with numerous factors to consider. Further research is needed to explore the optimal timing of medication discontinuation in this heterogeneous population of children undergoing epilepsy surgery.