A hemispherectomy is a special brain surgery where doctors remove or disconnect the half of your brain that causes bad seizures. Before the surgery, the doctors do tests like brain scans and give you a short sleep test to find out exactly where the seizures start. During the surgery, they gently open the skull, do the procedure, and then put everything back in place carefully.
After surgery, you will stay in the hospital for a few days so doctors and nurses can watch how you’re doing. You’ll probably feel sleepy and need time to heal, but soon you'll begin therapy to help you learn to move, speak, and do everyday tasks again. Medicines that help control seizures will be adjusted over time. Many kids feel much better afterwards and can resume activities like attending school, playing with friends, and learning new things.
- Video EEG monitoring to localize seizure origin
- MRI, PET, or MEG scans to assess brain structure and function
- Neuropsychological testing to evaluate cognitive and language baseline
- Multidisciplinary team discussion to ensure the patient is a surgical candidate
- Patients may also need blood work and a pre-anesthesia evaluation.
- Anatomic Hemispherectomy: Physical removal of one hemisphere (rarely performed today)
- Functional Hemispherectomy: Disconnects the dysfunctional hemisphere while leaving most of it in place
- Hemidecortication or Hemispherotomy: Disconnection of cortical fibers and seizure pathways with minimal tissue removal
- A large craniotomy is performed, and the surgeon uses microsurgical tools to isolate or remove the affected hemisphere. Advanced intraoperative imaging and neuro-navigation are used for precision.
- Hemiparesis or weakness on the opposite side (usually pre-existing and expected to remain)
- Hydrocephalus requiring a shunt
- Infection, bleeding, or stroke
- Visual field loss (hemianopia)
- Cognitive or behavioral changes
- Seizure recurrence (rare if seizure focus is fully remo Surgery is generally well-tolerated in children due to brain plasticity and the presence of already impaired function in the affected hemisphere.
- Seizure freedom in up to 85% of patients
- Improved developmental outcomes, especially in children
- Reduces reliance on anti-seizure medications
- Prevents further cognitive and neurological regression
- Improves overall quality of life, schooling, and social development
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Herzliya Medical Center
Herzliya, Israel
Apart from in-detail treatment procedures available, Herzliya Medical Center located in Herzliya, Israel has a wide variety of facilities available for International Patients. Some of the facilities which are provided by them are Accommodation, Airport Transfer, Interpreter, SIM, TV inside room. Also listed below are some of the most prominent infrastructural details:
- 350+ leading doctors in senior positions working with the Hospital
- Single & Double Standard Rooms
- VIP Suites and Decor rooms
- 20 Departments
- 19 Outpatient Clinics
- 12 Institutes
- 4 hospitalization Offices
- 7 Operating rooms
- 2 Pharmacies
- 12 VIP chambers
- IVF Centre
- Top specialties offered by the Hospital are- Hysterography, Eye Microsurgery, Ablation, Amniocentesis, Angiography, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Aorta Surgery, Arthroplasthy, Bone Marrow Biopsy, Brain Tumor Surgery, Breast Cancer, Breast Lift, etc.
Sheba Medical Center
Ramat Gan, Israel
Sheba Medical Center located in Tel-Hashomer, Israel is accredited by JCI. Also listed below are some of the most prominent infrastructural details:
- Sheba Medical Center has a 1900 bed capacity.
- It also consists of as many as 120 departments and clinics.
- Sheba treats a large number of national and international patients from many Asian and European countries among others.
- International patient care services in Sheba are very strong, this also includes the travel, stay, transfer related coordination with translator services.
- The healthcare personnel working in Sheba Medical Center are fluent in English, documents are also available in this common denominator language.
- Rehabilitation services are available for long term recovery and return back to a normal life and activity. This could include conditions related to Orthopedics, Neurology, psychiatry, old age and injuries etc.
Acibadem Altunizade Hospital
Istanbul, Turkey
Acibadem Altunizade Hospital located in Istanbul, Turkey is accredited by JCI. Also listed below are some of the most prominent infrastructural details:
- The indoor area of Acibadem Hastanesi - Altunizade, Istanbul, Turkey is one of the largest at 98,000 square meters.
- There are 550 beds and as many parking spots.
- 75 of the beds are in the intensive care unit.
- A hybrid operating room which has 3 diagnostic units at one location which is an amazing concept as at one time surgeries can be performed in 3 operating theatres.
- International patients are serviced well through a particular center for them where services related to therapy and diagnostics are done.
- Healthcare delivery in this part of the hospital can be availed in 16 different languages.
- Robotic Surgery and Cell Therapy Unit are representative of the high standards of technology present in the hospital.
Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates is accredited by JCI. Also listed below are some of the most prominent infrastructural details:
- 209 bed capacity 14-beds in the Intensive Care Unit
- 64 Slice CT, High End MRI, Neuro-navigation Surgical Systems
- 3.0 Tesla MRI
- Neuro-physiology
- Specialized physiotherapy
- Well managed rehabilitation services
- 10 operating theatres
- Royal Suites and Presidential Suites available
- It comprises the most advanced treatment related equipment.
- It is adorned with cutting edge diagnostic equipment.
- Personal attention is given and there is an empathetic approach to healing, the hospital terms it the 'art of healing'.
- Customised services are provided to International patients.
- Centers of excellence
- Cardiology
- Pediatrics
- Ophthalmology
- Oncology
- IVF
- Gynecology & obstetrics
- Orthopedics & sports medicine
- Shoulder and upper limb unit
- Burjeel vascular centre
- Bariatric & metabolic surgery
VPS Rockland Hospital
Gurgaon, India
VPS Rockland Hospital located in Gurugram, India is accredited by NABH, NABL. Also listed below are some of the most prominent infrastructural details:
- Well-designed compact 103-bed hospital expanding over120,000 square feet
- Well equipped modular operation theatres, intensive care unit, interventional Cath lab, and in-patient rooms ranging from economy to luxury
- Offers a bouquet of services like Internal Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Surgery, Pediatrics
- High-end diagnostic services like 1.5 T MRI and 128 slice CT Scan
- Advanced non-invasive assessment with echo & TMT machines
- State of the art cardiac Cath-Lab
- Appointment Scheduling
- Treatment packages
- Accommodation arrangement for the accompanying attendant
- Customized diet for patient and attendant
- Laundry services
- Prayer room
- Visa assistance
- Pick and drop facility from/to the Airport
- Foreign exchange facility
- Registration with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office
- Dedicated Neuro-Intensive care unit managed by expert intensivists
- Accommodation arrangements post discharge
- Highly advanced instruments for deep brain stimulation, stereotaxy, micro-neurosurgery, pediatric neurosurgery & neurophysiology
- Most advanced dialysis machines and advanced diagnostic and therapeutic facilities
- Renal replacement therapy for hemo-dynamically unstable patient
- Technologically advanced endoscopy suite
- Wi-Fi/internet service in the room
- Travel arrangement for patient & attendant post discharge
- Tele-consults post discharge
- Dialysis beds
- 24x7 ‘Trauma & Emergency Center
- Dedicated blood bank
- 24x7 comprehensive patient care.
- Deployed high-end technologies & smart digital system
- Robust Hospital Information Systems to meet complex medical needs of patients
- Robotic-assisted surgeries
- International Patients Lounge
Acibadem University Hospital Atakent
Istanbul, Turkey
Acibadem University Hospital Atakent located in Istanbul, Turkey is accredited by JCI. Also listed below are some of the most prominent infrastructural details:
- Spread over an area of 60,000 square meters
- It has 300 wards with 8 operating rooms
- It has an inpatient treatment capacity of 278
- Intensive care unit bed capacity is of 29 beds
- The healthcare organisation has several kinds of infrastructure for services such as free parking, cafeteria, Wi-Fi, hairdressing salon, ATM, ergonomic hospital beds, and prayer rooms.
- The hospital has both standard single rooms and double rooms (24 in number) for the patients.
- The hospital wards are also equipped with metal handrails, emergency cords, and call buttons for patients with mobility issues.
- The latest medical technology is present here to treat patients such as MR-LINAC linear accelerator, The da Vinci robot, and TrueBeam Linear Accelerator.
- The diagnostic department of the hospital has the following equipments:
- MRI 3 Tesla
- Full-body MRI
- Spect CT
- Flash-CT
- Ductoscopy (early diagnosis of breast duct cancer)
- DSA digital angiography
- Endoultrasonography (EUS)
- Ultrasonic echography
KCM Clinic
Jelenia Gora, Poland
KCM Clinic located in Jelenia Gora, Poland is accredited by ISO. Also listed below are some of the most prominent infrastructural details:
- Comfort of the patients is the utmost priority of KCM. It provides accommodation facilities in Private and Double rooms with hygienic restrooms
- Free Wi-fi service available
- Air-conditioned Exercising rooms
- Rehabilitation Center
- 20 Specialties Centers
Lenmed Ahmed Kathrada Private Hospital
Johannesburg, South Africa
Apart from in-detail treatment procedures available, Lenmed Ahmed Kathrada Private Hospital located in Johannesburg, South Africa has a wide variety of facilities available for International Patients. Some of the facilities which are provided by them are Accommodation, Airport Transfer, Choice of Meals, Interpreter, SIM, TV inside room. Also listed below are some of the most prominent infrastructural details:
- 254 bed capacity
- 24 Hour Emergency section
- Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory
- Clinical Trial Centre
- Sports Medicine Centre
- Centre of Excellence for Strokes
- 24 hour trauma and emergency
- Many medical specialties
- Option of Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery in Gynaecology, Urology and General Surgery
- Patient shuttle facility
- International patient coordinators
Life Kingsbury Hospital
Cape Town, South Africa
Apart from in-detail treatment procedures available, Life Kingsbury Hospital located in Cape Town, South Africa has a wide variety of facilities available for International Patients. Some of the facilities which are provided by them are Accommodation, Airport Transfer, Choice of Meals, Interpreter, SIM, TV inside room. Also listed below are some of the most prominent infrastructural details:
- The hospital has the capacity of 226 beds
- 11 Operating rooms
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
- General ward, Paediatric ward and Maternity ward
- Accident & Emergency Unit with a Doctor on-duty 24*7
- Free Advanced Life Support Paramedic Response Vehicle, which cannot be considered as an Ambulance as it is not responsible for patients transfer. It is to stabilize a patient whilst an ambulance is dispatched
Iranian Hospital
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Design structure of any hospital is very important. It shows the level of concern that a Hospital is considering for its patients’ comfort.
As a whole, Iranian Hospital is equipped with 187 premium beds, 35 speciality clinics, 10 ICU Beds, 12 Neonatal ICU beds, 9 CCU beds, 8 Operation Theatres and 24 Paediatric beds.
The Hospital has medical & comfort facilities for both the segments:
- Inpatients
- Outpatients
Inpatient Services:
- 24*7 Emergency Services- consist of 18 general beds, 3 VIP Acute care and 1 Isolation room
- ICU: 19 beds plus one VIP suite room
- CCU: 8 beds plus one VIP suite room
- Internal Medicine ward with 2 VIP Patient suite rooms and 26 beds
- For health tourists, Global Healthcare Department is present with VIP ward with 10 VIP Suite rooms
- Surgical wards on gender basis (Men or Women)- 21 beds each + 1 VIP suite room
- Surgery ward for Day care- 6 beds + 2 private suite rooms
- 8 Operating rooms fully equipped with modern equipment for laparoscopic surgery
- Fully equipped Cath-lab with 4 beds recovery unit _ immediate access to operating room for cardiac surgery
- 38 beds + 1 VIP Suite room for Gynecology and obstetrics
- 6 labor and 3 delivery beds in labour ward + 1 Emergency room for obstetrics OR
- 12 beds in Neonatal ICU (NICU)
- 24 beds + 2 VIP suite rooms in Paediatric ward
- An Intensive Care Unit with 4 beds and 1 isolation unit for Paediatrics
Outpatients Sevices: Speciality clinics such as General Physician clinics, surgical clinic, Cosmetic & Aesthetic clinic, Ophthalmology clinic, Dentistry, Paediatrics clinic, etc. When it comes to accommodation, people get very conscious while choosing the Hospital. Iranian Hospital is the best at it as Hospital rooms are like luxury apartments equipped with all the amenities required by patients and their families. Services available at the Hospital during stay:
- Private & shared rooms
- Nurse call system by the bed
- Specialized menus for specialized diets are prepared and screened individually by experienced dieticians. Guest trays are available as per request
- Cleaning & Repairing of rooms to maintain cleanliness & hygiene
- Each hospital bed has its own telephone extensions
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+99Process Involved for Hemispherectomy
- Preoperative: Evaluation using EEG, MRI, neuropsychological, and sometimes Wada tests; medication adjustments; education for family preparation.
- Intraoperative: Performed under general anaesthesia with either anatomical removal or functional disconnection techniques, guided by intraoperative monitoring (e.g., electrocorticography).
- Postoperative: ICU monitoring (2–3 days), wound and drain management, continuation of antiepileptic medications, and imaging to detect complications like bleeding or hydrocephalus.
- Rehabilitation: Early initiation of physical, occupational, and speech therapy, often starting within days with ongoing follow-up to regain motor skills, speech, and functional independence.
- Hemimegalencephaly: one side of the brain becomes abnormally large and causes frequent, hard-to-control seizures. Surgery disconnects or removes the affected half and usually stops the seizures.
- Extensive cortical dysplasia: developmental abnormalities in the brain’s cortex (like polymicrogyria) that cause severe, resistant epilepsy. Hemispherectomy disconnects the malfunctioning region.
- Perinatal stroke or encephalomalacia: damage from early-life stroke or brain injury often leads to persistent, localised seizures. Removing or isolating the damaged hemisphere effectively controls them.
- Rasmussen’s encephalitis is a rare, progressive condition characterised by a slow-growing inflammation that affects one side of the brain, resulting in seizures, weakness, and loss of function. Surgery halts the disease’s effects.
- Sturge–Weber syndrome: a congenital vascular brain disorder that causes drug-resistant seizures on one side; hemispherectomy can eliminate the seizure focus and preserve development.
- Hemiconvulsion–hemiplegia–epilepsy syndrome starts with prolonged convulsions on one side, leading to paralysis and ongoing seizures. Surgery is a key option when medications fail.
- Traumatic brain injury or porencephalic cyst: severe injury or resulting cysts in one hemisphere may lead to uncontrollable epilepsy; surgery disconnects the faulty tissue
- Preoperative assessment: Comprehensive evaluations (EEG, MRI, neuropsychological testing, sometimes Wada/MEG) determine seizure origins and assess whether the healthy hemisphere can support vital functions. Patients and families receive education about procedure expectations and medication adjustments.
- Craniotomy and exposure: Under general anaesthesia, a neurosurgeon makes a scalp incision and removes a portion of the skull to expose the diseased hemisphere.
- Hemisection or hemisphere removal
Based on specific needs, the surgeon either disconnects brain connections (functional hemispherectomy or hemispherotomy), including the corpus callosum and key white matter tracts, or removes large parts of the diseased hemisphere (anatomical hemispherectomy). - Hemostasis and cleaning: After disconnection or resection, the surgeon controls bleeding, irrigates the cavity with saline, and ensures any exposed brain tissue is cleaned and secured.
- Watertight dural repair, bone flap replacement, and layered scalp closure—all in one step: a finely sutured dura (often reinforced with graft), precise reattachment of the skull flap using screws or plates, and sequential closure of scalp layers (muscle, fascia, galea, skin) with a drain or dressing to reduce bleeding and swellin
- Immediate postoperative care: Patients usually spend 1–3 days in the ICU with close monitoring, followed by a hospital stay of around 5–7 days with neurological checks and early imaging to detect complications.
- Rehabilitation and recovery: Rehabilitation begins within days, with physical, occupational, and speech therapy to promote motor and cognitive recovery. Antiepileptic drugs are continued and tapered gradually. Long-term follow-up supports developmental progress and seizure monitoring.
- Hemispherotomy
- Callosotomy
- Hemidecortication
- Lesionectomy
- Lobectomy
- Resection
- High likelihood of stopping or significantly reducing seizures, with about 66–83 per cent of patients becoming seizure‑free.
- Prevents further brain damage by halting ongoing seizure activity.
- Enables the remaining hemisphere to reorganise functions like speech and movement, especially in young patients.
- Improves independence, mobility, daily function, and quality of life in most children.
- Stabilises or even enhances cognitive development, including language and memory, with many showing no decline over long-term follow-up.
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