Epilepsy is a chronic non-communicable brain disease that affects about 50 million people worldwide. It is characterized by recurrent seizures, which are brief episodes of involuntary movement that may involve a part of the body (partial) or the whole body (generalized) and are sometimes accompanied by loss of consciousness and control of bowel or bladder function.

Seizures are due to excessive electrical discharges in a group of brain cells that may occur in different parts of the brain. Seizures can range from very brief episodes of absence or muscle contractions to prolonged, severe seizures. Their frequency can also vary from less than one a year to several a day.

A seizure does not mean epilepsy (up to 10% of people worldwide have a seizure in their lifetime). Epilepsy is defined by two or more unprovoked seizures. This disease is one that has been recognized since ancient times, with written records dating back to 4000 BC. Fear, misunderstanding, discrimination and social stigma have surrounded epilepsy for hundreds of years. This stigma is still present today in many countries and can impact the quality of life for people with the disease and their families.

For many people living with epilepsy, the stigma associated with the disease is more difficult to deal with than the disease itself. Misconceptions and myths often contribute to the stigma surrounding epilepsy. For example, many people assume that epilepsy is a mental illness, that it limits activities or even that it is contagious.

This year´s International Epilepsy Day campaign aims to dispel these myths. By sharing facts about epilepsy, we will challenge public misconceptions about epilepsy.

It is important that we educate ourselves and others about the facts about epilepsy and dispel these myths and misconceptions. This can help reduce the stigma and discrimination experienced by people living with epilepsy and ensure that they have access to the same opportunities and rights as others.

People affected by refractory temporal lobe epilepsy have an opportunity for treatment in Cuba.

Cuban Medical Services offer a novel approach to the treatment of refractory epilepsy called Neuro-Restorative Surgery of the Central Nervous System, based on minimal access surgical methods by stereotaxic techniques with automated planning and neurophysiological verification by semi-micro-recording of neuronal activity.

The care program consists of three phases:

  I phase: initial evaluation of epilepsy.
 II phase: Pre-surgical evaluation of epilepsy (7 days).
III phase: Surgical and postoperative treatment.

Cuban Medical Services are distinguished in the treatment of refractory epilepsy by the professionalism, humanism and high scientific level of the professionals and have an International Center for Neurological Restoration that has a trained and highly specialized multidisciplinary group with more than 20 years of experience, with the technology of advanced centers in this type of surgery, more than 400 patients evaluated -children and adults-, with moderate personalized prices compared to the international average as well as results similar to those reported in the international literature.

To request this service, the interested person should contact the Coordination and Processing Center of Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos Cubanos, S.A. at smc@smcsalud.cu. 

With information from WHO and  International Epilepsy Day.