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Anesthesia for the Pediatric Patient With Epilepsy and Minimally Invasive Surgery for Epilepsy

  • Pediatric Anesthesia (R Agarwal, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Anesthesiology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review outlines a perioperative approach to the pediatric patient with a seizure disorder and anesthesia for minimally invasive epilepsy surgical treatment.

Recent Findings

Surgical interventions for epilepsy have undergone dramatic progression. Minimally invasive treatments and high-tech imaging, such as intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI), are recent advances. Many anesthetics have epileptogenic activity and must be adjusted for an effective anesthetic. The needs for imaging techniques, moving patients in and out of computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) locations, require careful planning and management.

Summary

Antiepileptic medications interact with anesthetic agents, and common anesthetics can precipitate or suppress seizure activity. Furthermore, neurosurgical interventions continue to evolve with iMRI, robotic, and minimally invasive techniques. The pediatric anesthesiologist will need to adapt and adjust anesthetic choices to enhance seizure foci localization and treatment.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank neurosurgeon, Dr. Jonathon James Parker, M.D. Ph.D., for his surgical image and expert consultation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Management, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305-3640, USA

    Becky J. Wong, Rita Agarwal & Michael I. Chen

  2. Stanford Children’s Health and the Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Becky J. Wong, Rita Agarwal & Michael I. Chen

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  1. Becky J. Wong
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  2. Rita Agarwal
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Correspondence to Becky J. Wong.

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Wong, B.J., Agarwal, R. & Chen, M.I. Anesthesia for the Pediatric Patient With Epilepsy and Minimally Invasive Surgery for Epilepsy. Curr Anesthesiol Rep 11, 233–242 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40140-021-00457-2

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