Epilepsy patients to benefit from ‘groundbreaking’ laser therapy

A “groundbreaking” therapy will be rolled out on the NHS to epilepsy patients who cannot control their seizures with drugs alone.

The new therapy, known as Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT), helps clinicians to better target parts of the brain causing the epilepsy without the need for invasive surgery.

Consultant Neurosurgeon and NHS England’s Medical Director for Specialised Services James Palmer says the therapy will “dramatically reduce” risks for patients and improve recovery time.

One in three people with epilepsy unable to control their seizures with standard medication

Around 600,000 people are currently living with epilepsy in the UK, with one in three unable to control their epilepsy with standard medication. While surgery is sometimes an option for these patients, it is an invasive procedure and cannot be performed if the source of the seizure is not localised or accessible by standard surgical techniques.

LITT involves drilling a small hole into the skull; a fire optic laser is then inserted which can reach and destroy epilepsy-causing brain tissue via heat.

Using an MRI scanner, the clinical team navigate through the brain avoiding blood vessels and other critical structures. They also monitor the temperature of the surrounding areas to make sure healthy brain tissue does not overheat.

The wound heals quickly, with many patients able to go home after 24 to 48 hours. There is minimal risk of infection or other side effects and most patients can return to work within a week.

LITT the first treatment options for patients with focal epilepsy

LITT will be offered to around 50 patients in England each year starting from June. The treatments will first be delivered at specialist epilepsy hubs including King’s College Hospital in London and The Walton Centre in Liverpool.

Patients with focal epilepsy (such as idiopathic location-related epilepsies, frontal lobe epilepsy, temporal lobe epilepsy, parietal lobe epilepsy and occipital lobe epilepsy) may be eligible where surgery is not an option.

Treatments for focal epilepsy have, until now, been non-existent, and Ley Sander, Medical Director at the Epilepsy Society says this announcement is therefore a “great advance” for lesional epilepsy.

“This non-invasive form of neurosurgery could be groundbreaking for some people with brain lesions whose seizures do not respond to conventional treatment options, including more invasive epilepsy surgery.

“It will make surgery safer and faster and dramatically cut the recovery period for individuals. We are particularly proud that the sophisticated navigation system which guides this pioneering surgery was developed at the Epilepsy Society’s MRI unit,” he said.

Patients say LITT has made a ‘huge difference’ to their quality of life

Laura Diable, 39, from Birkenhead, was one of the first patients with epilepsy to have LITT at The Walton Centre. She said: “Since having the procedure nearly a year ago, I’ve not had one seizure. It’s made a huge difference to my quality of life.

“Before, the seizures were incapacitating me, leaving black spots in my memory. Thanks to LITT I’ve been able to get on with my life and worry less about my epilepsy – I can’t thank the team at The Walton Centre enough.”

Consultant Neurosurgeon Mr Jibril Osman Farah, lead clinician delivering treatment at The Walton Centre, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to offer LITT to our patients. There is a very specific criteria to meet, we need to be able to see where in the brain the seizures are coming from, and that medication is ineffective in managing seizures.

“We’re excited to build this service at The Walton Centre and deliver groundbreaking care for patients.”