When do doctors implant a responsive stimulator instead of removing the seizure focus? · Grey Matter

Removal is preferred when it is safe, because it can stop seizures altogether.

When do doctors implant a responsive stimulator instead of removing the seizure focus?

Removal is preferred when it is safe, because it can stop seizures altogether. A stimulator is chosen when the focus lies in tissue that cannot be spared, such as cortex that controls language or movement, or when seizures start in both hippocampi, where removing both would destroy the ability to form new memories. Responsive stimulation rarely ends seizures entirely, but its effect grows over the years, reaching a median reduction of 75 % after nine years in the long-term study.