Psychosocial outcome following temporal lobe surgery

Psychosocial status was assessed in 77 patients who underwent anterior temporal lobectomy for medically intractable complex partial seizures (46 left, 31 right). Psychosocial status was assessed at an average of 3 1 2 years after surgery using a structured telephone interview. Most patients (92%) benefitted from a significant reduction in seizure frequency, with 64% considered seizure-free. Patients were classified into one of three groups based on their level of vocational improvement after surgery: improved (47%), stable (26%), and unimproved (27%). Multivariate analyses indicated that patients who improved their vocational status after surgery were more likely to report symptoms of emotional distress on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory before surgery than patients who failed to improve their vocational status. Thus, symptoms of emotional distress are not necessarily a contraindication for surgery but may reflect frustration that will motivate patients to achieve a positive psychosocial outcome.