EEC 2022 | Risks of DBS in epilepsy: are they irreversible?

Jukka Peltola, MD, PhD, University Hospital of Tampere, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland, comments on the risks associated with deep brain stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT-DBS) for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. The safety of this procedure is well established. Relating to the surgical insertion, infection is the main risk. Infection risk can be minimized with a skilled DBS team and patient follow-up, and rarely leads to system explant. Stimulation-related problems are also seen, such as psychiatric disturbances. These can also be responded to with changes in device programming. This interview took place at the 14th European Epilepsy Congress (EEC) 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland.