Israeli Doctors Save Mother From Prolonged Epileptic Coma With DBS Surgery
A 33-year-old Israeli mother of four woke from a two-month epileptic coma after neurosurgeons at Hadassah Medical Center used an innovative deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy.
A 33-year-old mother of four from central Israel, referred to as Tali, has made a remarkable recovery from a severe, prolonged epileptic coma following an innovative deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery performed at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem.
A Sudden Medical Crisis
Until a few months ago, Tali led a healthy, active life balancing a full-time job and raising her four children. However, after falling ill with a fever that did not subside, her condition rapidly deteriorated. After an initial hospital visit yielded no definitive answers, Tali suffered severe and continuous epileptic seizures at home.
Paramedics performed resuscitation on the way to the hospital, where doctors decided to place her in a medically induced coma. Despite receiving high doses of anti-epileptic medications, biological treatments, and a vagus nerve stimulator, the status epilepticus persisted for two months with no sign of improvement.
Breakthrough Mapping and DBS Surgery
Faced with a rare and life-threatening case, the family transferred Tali to Hadassah Ein Kerem, where a multidisciplinary team of anesthesiologists, intensivists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons convened.
The decision we made was unique and ultimately saved her life. Through advanced technology and outside-the-box thinking, we managed not only to stop the seizures but to bring the patient back from a prolonged coma to full consciousness, said Dr. Sami Hyman, a senior neurosurgeon specializing in epilepsy surgery.
To pinpoint the abnormal electrical activity, doctors performed an invasive brain mapping procedure by inserting thin electrodes deep into her brain. The mapping revealed a complex network of abnormal electrical sources on both sides of the brain.
Following these findings, the medical team performed a rare procedure: implanting a deep brain stimulation (DBS system. Four permanent electrodes were placed deep within the brain to deliver electrical pulses designed to disrupt the abnormal firing patterns. While commonly used for movement disorders like Parkinson's disease, its application in this acute epilepsy case was exceptionally rare.
Recovery and Rehabilitation
Within days of activating the DBS system, the abnormal electrical activity dropped sharply. Physicians gradually tapered off the sedation medications, and Tali opened her eyes. She gradually began recognizing family members, responding to voices, and communicating.
After spending about three months sedated and ventilated, Tali is now embarking on a long and complex rehabilitation process that includes physical strengthening, cognitive therapy, and relearning basic functions. Her family expressed deep gratitude to the medical staff at Hadassah Medical Center, noting that the successful recovery feels nothing short of a miracle.
