Teen Seizure-Free After Pioneering Surgery That Removed Part Of His Brain

A Scottish teenager with epilepsy is now seizure-free, thanks to a life-changing laser brain surgery, the New York Post reported. Notably, 17-year-old Angus Bain endured epileptic fits at least once a week for the past 13 years. However, the teen recently underwent a groundbreaking surgery that removes the brain tissue that causes seizures. Ten weeks after the surgery, the teenager has not had a single episode, according to his mother.

"I've never had such a long period not having a seizure, it's an amazing relief. I'm so happy. Christmas is a big occasion and now it will be even bigger this year. Being able to have this surgery is amazing. I think it could change my life forever by making me able to do the things I haven't been able to do,'' Mr Bain told BBC Scotland News.

The surgery was conducted at the Edinburgh Children's Hospital in October. The innovative laser technology known as MRI-guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT)  is minimally invasive and the surgery takes just under two hours with a relatively short recovery time.

During the procedure, a piece of his brain that caused the attacks was removed by laser.

''The laser surgery is a fantastic development for specific patients and will give some with epilepsy a real chance to live a normal life. The surgery has been life-changing not just for Angus, but for the entire family,'' Dr. Jothy Kandasamy, consultant neurosurgeon at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People said. 

The teenager who lives in Gateside, Fife, was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was four years old. Since then he has been on lots of heavy medication, tests, and scans.

His mother Nicki Bain, 48, said: "Our lives have been consumed with Angus's epilepsy since he was four. He has been on lots of very heavy medication, had wires in his head, brain stimulation, and so many tests and scans. The build-up to him having a seizure would last a few days, then after the seizure it would take another couple of days for him to recover, so I don't think he's ever actually had a normal day.

The teen said he hopes to one day get his driver's license, play rugby, or go skiing, things that had been too risky for him to do pre-surgery.