ADULT EPILEPSY SURGERY PROGRAM
PATIENT HIGHLIGHT
RICK SMITH
ROCKET SURGERY e felt a bolt of lightening strike his head and body. A blackout followed. Rick Smith, an aerospace engineer, slipped out of his office chair and onto the floor at Wyle Laboratories. He had just celebrated his big 4-0. Until that first grand mal seizure, he was healthy. Another engineer entered his office to see Rick convulsing on the floor. He dialed 9-1-1. When Rick came to, an ambulance crew was surrounding him. After that initial seizure, his driving privileges were restricted. Fortunately, his wife, Karen, worked at the laboratory, so he was able to continue working. Even with antiseizure medications, Rick endured unexpected seizures, most commonly complex partial seizures, or “stare-offs”, for more than nine years. Everywhere he went, he had to think about the impact a seizure would have on him and those around him. In search of a life beyond his seizures, he met with Sandra Dewar, RN, MS, Jerome Engel, Jr.,
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MD, PhD, Itzhak Fried, MD, PhD, and a large team of doctors at the UCLA Seizure Disorder Center to determine if he was a surgical candidate. He discovered all of the potential catalysts to his adult onset epilepsy. They asked him a series of questions. He answered yes to each one, from having experienced blows to the head and exposure to chemicals, to experiencing high levels of stress. The team of clinicians explained that Rick would need to check into the hospital for a set of studies, which included 24-hour supervised video EEG monitoring so the medical team could pinpoint the start of the seizures. The clinicians found the scar tissue in his brain where the overactive cells misfired during an epileptic seizure. They were confident they had isolated the problem area. Next, the Wada test was done. This required a portion of his brain to be anesthetized while they tested his neurological, motor, and verbal functions. He passed with flying colors. He recalls one of the
happiest days of his life was when Dr. Fried emerged from a huddle with his research team and said to Rick, “We believe you’re a candidate for surgery.” Rick underwent brain surgery by Dr. Fried to have the scar tissue removed and, in return, got his old life back. Today, at age 60, 12 years after surgery, Rick is seizure-free. He is a grandfather with two grandsons. His son now works at the laboratory with him. Rick continues to pursue his work at NTS Technical Systems in Santa Clarita, CA, with a passion. He is so grateful to enter his golden years without having to rely on medications to control his seizures. “I cannot believe they cured my epilepsy. It’s a medical miracle. My only regret is not undergoing surgery sooner. I could have saved myself from suffering from nine years of seizures. I want to blast it out to anyone suffering from epilepsy to go to UCLA. You can live seizure-free.”
UCLA NEUROSURGERY: INTO THE BRAIN AND BEYOND