Laser technology offers new option to treat epilepsy
Vanderbilt recently debuted a new minimally invasive surgical treatment for epilepsy, and for 25-year-old Cory Moquist, the procedure, which he underwent in February, is “opening a lot of doors.”
The cutting-edge technique employs MRI-guided laser ablation to destroy the brain tissue causing seizures in place of surgical resection.
“I’m excited that this could fix my epilepsy for good,” Moquist said. “I take so much medication, and I think I’m more tired than I should be. I feel like I’ve put off starting my career, and this will open everything up.”
A native of Spokane, Washington, Moquist began having seizures at age 2, but was able to control them with medication until a severe seizure at age 18, just before he went to college.
“At the beginning of college I was still pretty much in denial and continued to have seizures every two to three weeks. Most people who have witnessed them say they last 20-30 minutes.”
With the supervision of family and friends, Moquist has always been able to do the outdoor activities he loves. Now he hopes to live an even fuller life seizure-free.