INDIANAPOLIS — In the last few months, Elain Branson has watched her 3-year-old son, Jaylen, begin to walk.
“I’ve been extremely excited to see he’s conquering everything that I didn’t think he could before,” she said.
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Jaylen began having seizures at just six months old. He also has cerebral palsy.
“Later, it progressed to drop seizures, myoclonic, atonic, and so forth,” Branson said.
The drop seizures were the most frightening.
“For kids that can become very scary and dangerous because it can happen at any time, and if there is worry that if he became limp and fell, he could hit his head and have a secondary injury to his brain,” said Dr. Jason Chu, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Riley Hospital for Children.
Branson said they tried multiple medications.
“About 60-70% of patients who are tried on one or two medicines will get their seizures under control, meaning they'll pretty much live a normal life and not have any restrictions,” said Dr Robert Blake, a pediatric neurologist at Riley Hospital for Children. “But it’s the other group, about 30-40% of patients, that we try multiple medicines on and they're still having seizures. That's the point when we start exploring different surgery options.”
Jaylen underwent a laser corpus callosotomy — a less invasive surgery than a traditional craniotomy — which disconnects the “highway” between the right and left sides of the brain so seizures don’t spread.
It is an effective treatment for drop seizures.
“Patients can get 80%, 90%, and sometimes even 100% reduction in their drop seizures,” said Chu.
The procedure required a long wait, 11 hours for Jaylen’s family.
“I was thinking [about] everything,” Branson said. “It was all just really like I’m doing the best I can, and my goal was to give my son the best quality of life.”
Doctors say the surgery reflects major innovation in treatment over the last five to 10 years.
“We’ve seen kids bounce back much quicker; they’re in the hospital for a few days, less of a need for things like rehab and things like staying in the ICU,” said Chu.
“He was always very fatigued; his seizures were just wearing him out,” Branson said. “He loves to explore, he’s trying to walk, and just doing everything a typical three-year-old does.”
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, one in 26 people will be diagnosed with epilepsy. Doctors recommend talking to a pediatrician if you notice unusual movements in your baby. If your child loses control of their body or has trouble breathing, they say to go to an emergency room.
