‘Game-changing’ laser beam therapy to prevent epileptic seizures will available on the NHS next month

“GAME-CHANGING” laser therapy to prevent epileptic seizures will be available on the NHS from next month.

The cutting edge fibre-optic treatment involves drilling a tiny hole in the skull to target the affected areas of the brain.

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Doctors then thread through a 1.5mm-wide probe containing the laser to destroy the seizure-causing tissues by heating them from the inside.

Using an MRI scanner, the clinical team navigates through the brain, avoiding blood vessels and other critical structures.

They also monitor the temperature of the surrounding areas to make sure healthy tissue doesn’t overheat. 

Recovery time is far quicker than traditional surgical methods, with patients typically out of hospital within 24 to 48 hours.

They can usually return to work and other activities within a week.

James Palmer, a consultant neurosurgeon and NHS England’s medical director for specialised services, said: “This laser beam therapy is game-changing for patients and will offer new hope on the NHS to those for whom standard drugs are not effective in controlling their seizures.

“Not only will this world-leading technology help replace invasive surgery for patients, which can have a huge impact and take months to recover from, but it will also allow clinicians to better target the parts of the brain causing the epilepsy, which dramatically reduces the risks and helps cut patients’ recovery time both in and out of hospital.”

Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT) will be offered at King’s College London and the Walton Centre in Leeds from June to patients whose epilepsy cannot be treated by anti-seizure medication.

Doctors hope to treat around 50 people in England each year.

Laura Diable, 39, from Birkenhead, Merseyside, was one of the first patients with epilepsy to have the treatment 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.”

Around 600,000 people are currently living with epilepsy across the UK – nearly one in 100.

Taking medicines to help stop or reduce seizures is the main treatment, but one in three people with the condition are not able to control their seizures with drugs alone and may need invasive neurosurgery to remove the epilepsy-causing part of the brain.

However, not all patients are able to have neurosurgery because the source of the seizure is not able to be localised or is not accessible by standard surgical techniques.

Patients with focal epilepsy for whom standard surgery is not an option may be potentially eligible for the less invasive and more targeted LITT treatment.

This provides an opportunity for very effective treatment for some patients with focal epilepsy which has until now been unavailable.

‘GROUNDBREAKING’

Mr Jibril Osman Farah, consultant neurosurgeon and 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.”

Mr Ranj Bhangoo, consultant neurosurgeon at King’s College Hospital, added: “Severe epilepsy can be very difficult to live with and puts an enormous strain on patients and their families.

“This world-class, cutting-edge treatment, which is less invasive and reduces recovery time, is truly life-changing.

“Our teams are looking forward to helping more people living with epilepsy lead a normal life.”

And Ley Sander, medical director at the Epilepsy Society and professor of neurology at University College London, said: “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. 

“This enables the surgical team to navigate safely to the exact area of the brain that is affected, avoiding blood vessels and critical structures.

“This is a great advance in epilepsy surgery as a treatment option for lesional epilepsy.”