Postoperative EEG association with seizure recurrence: Analysis of the NIH epilepsy surgery database

The epilepsy surgery database from 1984 to 2012 at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was reviewed to determine the association of postoperative electroencephalography (EEG) with seizure recurrence. Eighty-three patients were analyzed, with 41 having at least 5 years of follow-up. The relationship between epileptiform postoperative EEG findings and seizure recurrence at 1, 2, and 5 years was not significant, despite a significant decrease in abnormal EEG recordings after surgery. Clinicians use a variety of tools to predict seizure recurrence following epilepsy surgery to guide medication management and to modulate patient expectations. EEG is but one tool for assessing the likelihood of seizure recurrence following epilepsy surgery.