The Epilepsy Surgery Treatment Gap in the UAE: Challenges and Future Prospects
Abstract number :
3.45
Submission category :
9. Surgery / 9A. Adult
Year :
2024
Submission ID :
425
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/9/2024 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Authors :
Presenting Author: Ahmed Alawadhi, MBBS – Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Eugene Achi, MD – Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Raj Nair, MD – Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Himanshu Soni, MD – Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Maria Rabbani, MD – Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Syed Irteza Hussain, MD – Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Florian Roser, MD – Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Ayman Haykal, MD – Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Rationale: Despite the evidence demonstrating its effectiveness, epilepsy surgery remains significantly underutilized. This study aims to evaluate the delay in performing surgical treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), discuss potential underlying causes, and discuss efforts to narrow the surgical treatment gap as well as challenges that may impede such progress.
Methods: In this retrospective analysis, we evaluated patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who underwent resective epilepsy surgery at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD) between 2015 and 2023. For each patient, we recorded the duration, in years, from the onset of epilepsy to the performance of epilepsy surgery. We also noted the patient’s age at epilepsy onset, the etiology of epilepsy and the type of surgical procedure performed.
Results: Twenty-one patients were included. The mean latency from the onset of epilepsy to performing epilepsy surgery was 17 years (range 2-43). The latency tended to be notably longer in patients with childhood-onset epilepsy and those with mesial temporal sclerosis.
Conclusions: The study demonstrates a significant delay from the onset of epilepsy to the performance of epilepsy surgery in a cohort of UAE patients. While these findings align with previously published data from other countries, there are likely to be distinct local factors that contribute to the surgical treatment gap within the UAE. In this context, we report our experience in establishing a comprehensive epilepsy surgery program at CCAD and outline plans to improve access to epilepsy surgery.
Funding: N/A
Surgery