[Anaesthesia of epileptic patient]

Abstract

Although surgery of brain tumors and epilepsy are restricted to few specialized centers, anaesthesia for a patient with epilepsy is commonly encountered. Surgical treatments of epilepsy are currently soaring due to the lack of significant progress about effectiveness of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Theoretical principles for the anaesthesiologist are quite complex, involving interactions between physiological and pharmacological anaesthesia and AEDs, such as enzyme induction with the first generation molecules mainly (phenytoin, carbamazepin, phenobarbital). The latest generation AEDs (levetiracetam, lamotrigine, gabapentin, oxcarbazepin, vigabatrin, lacosamide...) are better tolerated and induce fewer drug interactions. Practically, the risk of severe perioperative complications is low, provided that the administration of AEDs is kept as close as possible to its usual dosage, and that metabolic disturbances are prevented. The main anaesthetic drugs to avoid are alfentanil, remifentanil and sevoflurane, although their contraindication are only relative, since the clinical benefit might be clear and the doses should remain moderate.