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A MyEpilepsyTeam Member asked a question 💭
Rīga Latvija

Does anyone have experience with suctioning or surgical removal of a cyst if it is in the temporal lobe? The opinion of doctors is divided into two parts. One doctor says when you should, and another doctor says when the benefits won't outweigh the drawbacks.

July 9
 · 
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MyEpilepsyTeam

What a tough spot to be in — caught between two medical opinions when you're just trying to make the best decision for your health. That's genuinely stressful, and it's completely understandable to want more information.

When it comes to temporal lobe surgery for epilepsy, the most common procedure is a temporal lobe Show Full Answer

What a tough spot to be in — caught between two medical opinions when you're just trying to make the best decision for your health. That's genuinely stressful, and it's completely understandable to want more information.

When it comes to temporal lobe surgery for epilepsy, the most common procedure is a temporal lobe resection, which has the highest success rate of all epilepsy surgeries. When a structural abnormality like a cyst is causing seizures, removing it (sometimes along with the surrounding seizure zone) can be very effective. The divided opinions you're experiencing are actually quite common. Doctors weigh several factors, including:

- Where exactly the cyst sits in the temporal lobe
- Whether seizures clearly originate from that specific area (confirmed by EEG and MRI)
- What critical functions are nearby, like memory or language
- Your overall health and surgical risk

One MyEpilepsyTeam member shared: *"Have suffered from Temporal Lobe Epilepsy since 1985. After 2 brain operations, I now have one seizure a month...if that."*

Seeking a third neurosurgical opinion, ideally from a specialist epilepsy surgery center, could help clarify which path makes the most sense for your specific situation.

July 9
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