NE gets 1st govt epilepsy care centre at AIIMS-Guwahati

Guwahati: AIIMS-Guwahati has launched epilepsy surgery services under its comprehensive epilepsy care programme, making it the first govt facility in the the northeast to have such a centre.AIIMS-Guwahati performed its first successful epilepsy surgery for drug-refractory temporal lobe epilepsy, which marked a historic milestone for the region, officials said on Sunday.AIIMS officials said the addition strengthens neurological healthcare in the region by offering new options for patients with difficult-to-control epilepsy.Epilepsy is among the most common neurological disorders worldwide. In India, a wide treatment gap persists, especially in the northeast, where specialised epilepsy care is scarce. Doctors said many patients continue to have uncontrolled seizures due to delayed diagnosis, limited facilities, social stigma, and lack of access to advanced evaluation and surgical treatment.“The newly added epilepsy surgery service to the Epilepsy Programme at AIIMS Guwahati aims to bridge this critical gap by providing end-to-end epilepsy care under one roof. The programme begins with assessment in the dedicated Epilepsy Clinic, where patients undergo detailed clinical evaluation by trained neurologists and epilepsy specialists,” an AIIMS-Guwahati media release read.“Patients who continue to experience seizures despite appropriate medications are further evaluated using long-term video EEG monitoring, a highly specialised investigation that simultaneously records brain electrical activity and patient behaviour over prolonged periods. This process helps accurately identify the origin of seizures and determine whether the patient may benefit from epilepsy surgery,” it added.The institute said it is currently the only centre in the northeast India offering such comprehensive and integrated epilepsy care, including specialised epilepsy clinics, long-term video EEG monitoring, advanced neuroimaging support, multidisciplinary evaluation, and epilepsy surgery.Prof Ashok Puranik, executive director, AIIMS-Guwahati, said epilepsy is treatable and patients with uncontrolled seizures should seek timely expert care. He said early identification of drug-resistant epilepsy and appropriate surgical evaluation can significantly improve long-term outcomes.The program follows a multidisciplinary model involving neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, neuropsychologists, anesthesiologists, and EEG technologists.