與流行的醫學觀點相反，癲癇手術數周后的癲癇發作提示該患者將會有癲癇持續發作。

澳大利亞墨爾本大學研究人員進行的一項研究發現了這些結果，該研究涵蓋了接受顳葉切除術治療癲癇的325例患者。這是一種最普通的治療癲癇的手術。該區域是癲癇的始發區域，大多數患者可以去除或者減少癲癇發作。

墨爾本大學Anne M.McIntosh博士說：“我們推測某些接受這種手術的患者仍然出現癲癇發作的原因更加頑固。”
McIntosh博士和同事發現這些患者在術后4周開始有癲癇發作，而沒有手術相關的激發原因諸如創傷或者腫脹，這些患者在數月后出現持續癲癇發作的可能性增高了8倍。研究人員指出：許多出現癲癇復發的患者并沒有從手術獲得發作頻率下降的益處。這些研究結果報道在2005年1月24日的《神經病學年報》。
 
Seizures After Epilepsy Surgery
 
Contrary to the prevailing medical understanding, seizures in the weeks following epilepsy surgery signal a greatly increased likelihood that the patient will continue to have seizures.

These findings were the result of a study conducted by researchers at the University of Melbourne (Australia) involving 325 patients who underwent temporal lobe removal (lobectomy) for treatment of epilepsy. This is the most common form of epilepsy surgery. It is in the area where seizures commonly begin and eliminates or reduces seizures in most cases.

“We can speculate that some individuals who undergo this procedure have epilepsy that for some reason is more persistent,” commented lead author Anne M. McIntosh, Ph.D., of the University of Melbourne.

Dr. McIntosh and colleagues found that patients who experienced a seizure in the four weeks following surgery--in the absence of surgery-related triggers such as trauma or swelling-- were eight times more likely to have persistent epilepsy several months later. Still, the researchers noted that many of the patients who have epilepsy recur do have the benefit of reduced seizure frequency. The results were reported in the January 24, 2005, issue of the Annals of Neurology.