Enrique de Font-Réaulx, Departamento de Cirugía de Epilepsia, Centro Neurológico, Centro Médico ABC, Ciudad de México, México
Adalberto González-Astiazarán, Departamento de Neurocirugía Pediátrica, Centro Neurológico, Centro Médico ABC, Ciudad de México, México
Introduction: In developing countries, the proportion of patients who do not receive indicated surgical management for drug-resistant epilepsy is significantly higher than that in developed countries, mainly due to economic factors. Method: At ABC Medical Center we develop a sustainable epilepsy surgery program. The altruistic foundations of the ABC Medical Center contribute with fixed hospital expenses, and the Versus Epilepsia Foundation applies and coordinates the altruistic participation of the program’s doctors and external philanthropists, in addition to providing infrastructure and material to have the appropriate technology to develop a program of excellence in epilepsy surgery, capable of attending to all types of surgical complexity, including stereoelectroencephalography, without economic distinction, to the extent of the capacity of the resources. Results: Since 2018, we have performed 102 epilepsy surgeries, with annual growth of around 50%, with postoperative ILAE, Engel and QOLIE results similar to those of international reference epilepsy surgery centers. Conclusions: It is possible to perform epilepsy surgery of inclusive excellence for people from a vulnerable social population, regardless of their gender, age, religion, place of residence and whether or not they have access to public health systems effectively and safely.
Keywords: Epilepsy surgery. Altruistic program. Vulnerable population. Drug-resistant epilepsy.