Dr. McKhann and Dr. Youngerman Presenting at the 2022 American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting

Last weekend, the American Epilepsy Society (AES) met in Nashville, Tennessee for their 2022 Annual Meeting. The Neurosurgery Symposium on "Epilepsy Surgery Controversies: A Case-Based Discussion" featured Columbia Neurosurgery faculty, Dr. Guy McKhann and Dr. Brett Youngerman, and a recent graduate of the Columbia Neurosurgery Residency Program, Dr. Garrett Banks.

The AES is a community of physicians, scientists, and other professionals engaged in the understanding, diagnosis, study, prevention, treatment, and cure of epilepsy. The mission of the AES is to advance knowledge and support evidence-based clinical practice to improve outcomes for persons with epilepsy and their families.

This symposium focused on the current state-of-the-art methods and procedures related to epilepsy surgery, including surgical interventions, indications, and outcomes, with particular attention to the main controversial topics in the field. Controversial topics included: the optimal approach for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, the application of invasive monitoring, or the appropriate method for neuromodulation in generalized epilepsy in the pediatric population. 

The Symposium on Epilepsy Surgery Controversies was chaired by co-director of the Columbia Neurosurgery Tumor and Functional Divisions, Dr. Guy McKhann, who additionally presented on "Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT)." Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery, Dr. Brett Youngerman presented on "Medically Intractable Generalized Epilepsy". Finally, past neurosurgery chief resident, Dr. Garrett Banks presented on "Temporal Resection With and Without Intraoperative Electrocorticography (ECoG)."