Long-term follow-up in children with functional hemispherectomy for Rasmussen's encephalitis

Introduction: Cerebral hemispherectomy has been performed for over 60 years. Multiple variations of functional hemispherectomy have been performed since its inception by Rasmussen. Long-term follow-up for these variations is lacking in the medical literature. Methods: We review the long-term follow-up for five children with Rasmussen's encephalitis who underwent a modification of functional hemispherectomy. Results: The length of follow-up for this cohort ranged from 13 to 23 years (mean 15.6 years). All patients experienced immediate and complete elimination of seizures. Only one patient underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement. All patients are capable of ambulating on their own. Many years following their procedures, this cohort of patients remains seizure free.