Pediatric Epilepsy. When Drugs Don’t Work (in Spanish)

Course Description
To present current data on drug resistant epilepsy and therapeutic options when pharmacological treatment is not a choice. This program will explore latest information about pediatric epilepsy surgery. Speaker from Cleveland Clinic, a center with extensive expertise in surgical epilepsy will present available surgical techniques and outcomes. This will be followed by a discussion about the challenges experienced in Latin America for the creation of surgical programs. Finally, the symposia will address current therapeutic options for children with drug resistant epilepsy, when surgery is not an option. 

Target audience: Latin America and Spanish speaking countries, with the goal to raise awareness about importance of developing alternative therapies (including surgery) for children with drug resistance epilepsy. Dr. Vanegas, from Mexico has been a leader and advocate in the initiative of creating surgical centers in Latin America and is a representative of ILAE (International League against Epilepsy). This symposium is also intended to educate audience about need to develop such programs in poor resource regions.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn relevant data about pediatric drug refractory epilepsy and understand that medications are not the best option.
2. Learn about importance of creating epilepsy surgery programs in Latin America to care for children with drug refractory epilepsy and alternative options when surgery is not a possibility.

Impact Statements

1. Patients who present to my clinic with drug refractory epilepsy.
2. Referral for epilepsy surgery evaluation in children with drug refractory epilepsy, who are appropriate candidates.

Organizer:
Jorge Vidaurre, MD; Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Elia M. Pestana-Knight, DO; Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Co-Organizer:
Mario A. Genel Castillo, MD; Clinica de Epilepsia, Hospital de Salud Mental, Tijuana B.C., Mexico

Epidemiology of Drug Resistant Epilepsy. Data you Should Know. What to Tell our Families?
Loreto Ríos- Pohl, MD; Clínica Integral de Epilepsia Infanto-Juvenil (CIEI), Santiago, Chile

Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery in the Stereo EEG Era. Cleveland Clinic Experience
Elia M. Pestana-Knight, DO

Establishing Epilepsy Surgical Programs in Low-income Countries. The Latin America Experience
Mario A. Alonso Vanegas MD, FAES; Internacional Epilepsy Surgery Center, HMG-Coyoacán Hospital, México City, México

Drug Refractory Epilepsy. When Surgery is not an Option
Juan Carlos Perez-Poveda, MD; Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Fundacion Hospital Pediatrico, Bogotá, D. C., Colombia