Learn about the various epilepsy surgery options and how we help you choose the right option based on your goals and condition.
Epilepsy Surgery
If your seizures are not controlled with medication, you may be a candidate for epilepsy surgery. With all types of surgery for epilepsy, the goal is to stop or lessen your seizures and improve your quality of life. If a seizure focus (a defined area that originates your seizures) can be identified, there is often a high chance that your seizures may be stopped surgically.
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Epilepsy Surgery at Duke University Hospital
Find the information you need to prepare for your epilepsy surgery.
Epilepsy Surgery Types
Most epilepsy surgeries require an inpatient hospital stay of two to four days, plus additional recovery time at home. The most common surgical procedures we use to treat epilepsy include:
Temporal Lobectomy / Temporal Lobe Surgery
Removes a portion of the brain’s temporal lobe, the most common area for focal seizures to start. These approaches have a high success rate for long-term seizure freedom.
Cortical Resection
Removes a portion of the cerebral cortex, the outermost portion of brain tissue.
Lesionectomy (Resection of a Seizure-Causing Brain Abnormality)
Removes abnormal tissue that can cause seizures, such as tumors, vascular malformations, or developmental abnormalities.
Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT)
A minimally invasive, MRI-guided procedure. Neurosurgeons drill a small hole in the skull and thread a laser to the area that produces seizures. The laser heats neighboring tissue and damages areas where it is applied.
Corpus Callosotomy
Occasionally used for people who experience dangerous falls during seizures. A corpus callosotomy surgically disconnects the two sides of the brain, which prevents seizure activity from spreading broadly and producing more severe seizure events.
Neuromodulation Devices
Implantable neuromodulation devices are another surgical option. If medications or treatments haven’t provided satisfactory relief and other surgeries aren't ideal for you, these devices may be used to help prevent or interrupt seizures.
Neuromodulation for Epilepsy
Hear from Our Patients
Watch to learn how epilepsy surgery has led to seizure freedom for Andrew Vandenberg.
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Need a Second Opinion?
Our experts can review your records and contact you to discuss an effective treatment plan. Please call 919-385-3223, and our patient navigator will help make arrangements for your second opinion.
Why Choose Duke
Experienced, Compassionate Care
Our epileptologists are board-certified experts with years of experience treating people with difficult-to-control epilepsy. Our neurosurgeons embrace new technology as surgical options evolve to become less invasive and more precise.
Technology Designed for Safety
Our hospital features dedicated epilepsy and neurointensive care units that are equipped with electroencephalogram (EEG) machines and video-recording systems for seizure monitoring. This allows our staff to monitor patients for epileptic brain activity 24 hours a day. In addition, we have two operating rooms equipped with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners to assist with the most challenging procedures. This allows surgeons to see your brain in intricate detail in real time.
High-Volume Epilepsy Center
Research shows that hospitals and surgeons who perform more surgeries tend to have better outcomes. On average, Duke performs more than 50 neurostimulator implantations, 20 intracranial monitoring procedures, and 20 resective surgeries (those that remove tissue or part of an organ) in adults each year.
Level 4 Epilepsy Center
As a Level 4 Epilepsy Center, Duke Health provides the highest level of diagnosis, medical, and surgical treatments for people with epilepsy. It is one reason why Duke University Hospital’s neurology and neurosurgery program is nationally ranked, and the highest-ranked program in North Carolina, according to U.S. News & World Report in 2025-2026.
This page was medically reviewed on
03/19/2026
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