Neurosurgeon Performs Hospital’s First Endoscopic-Assisted Pediatric Corpus Callosotomy Surgery

New Endoscopic Procedure Resolves Seizures with Reduced Operating and Recovery Time

A pediatric neurosurgeon at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center recently performed the hospital’s first endoscopic-assisted pediatric corpus callosotomy surgery.

Luke D. Tomycz, M.D., performed the surgery on a child from Kansas who had experienced intractable seizures. Her parents had heard about the procedure and Dr. Tomycz through his lectures on brain surgery posted on YouTube and other social media platforms. Before her surgery, the patient had up to 20 generalized seizures a day, occurring on both sides of her brain. After surgery, the patient’s seizure frequency has been reduced by more than half.

While corpus callosotomy procedures have been performed for more than a decade in both adults and children to stop certain types of seizure activity, the endoscopic approach to this surgery has only been attempted recently at a handful of hospitals. As with other endoscopic surgeries, the surgery is performed through a smaller incision, guided by a video device, and takes less time than a traditional corpus callosotomy. This minimally invasive procedure has the same chance of seizure freedom post-surgery as traditional callosotomy, while reducing operating time and recovery time.

The pediatric neurology and neurosurgery team at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center offers the latest treatment options for epilepsy, including clinical trials, medications, and advanced surgical options. The hospital also has the only pediatric Epilepsy Monitoring Unit in New Jersey, making it a place of hope, comfort, compassion and expert care for children and families from across the region who are managing complex, rare, or drug-resistant epilepsy syndromes.

Learn more about our advancements in pediatric neurology and neurosurgery.