(Vienna, 3 July 2025) An international expert committee led by Christian Dorfer from the Department of Neurosurgery at MedUni Vienna has presented the world's first curriculum for training in epilepsy surgery. The aim is to improve surgical care for people with drug-resistant epilepsy worldwide by establishing uniform standards of competence. The complete curriculum and the results of an accompanying expert survey have been published in the journal Epileptic Disorders.
The curriculum was developed as part of a collaboration between the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Epilepsy Surgery Society (IESS), the latter of which Christian Dorfer serves as the founding president. It focuses on a competence-based training approach that covers all essential areas of epilepsy surgery – from diagnostics and preoperative assessment to surgical techniques and postoperative care. Communication and counselling skills – such as explaining risks and treatment options – are also central components.
Epilepsy surgery is used when seizures persist despite drug therapy. The region of the brain where the seizures originate is identified and, depending on its location, surgically removed, disconnected or treated using procedures such as thermal ablation or neurostimulation. The aim is to achieve seizure freedom or significantly reduce the seizure burden in order to improve quality of life. Precise patient selection and careful planning are crucial – and this is exactly where the curriculum comes in.
The content was developed in a multi-stage international consensus process and validated in a survey of 122 experts in neurology and neurosurgery. 94% of respondents were in favour of a standardised training programme, and just as many supported the introduction of an ILAE certificate. Almost all defined areas of competence were considered relevant and necessary.
To date, there have been considerable differences in training opportunities for epilepsy surgery worldwide, especially in countries with limited resources. The new curriculum now provides a structured, internationally coordinated basis for preparing future specialists for the complex requirements of the field.
"Only globally uniform training standards can ensure that patients worldwide have access to high-quality surgical epilepsy treatment. The curriculum is a decisive step in this direction," emphasises Christian Dorfer. Building on the areas of competence that have now been defined, the next step is to develop a practice-oriented training programme that systematically teaches surgical skills and makes them measurable.
Publication: Epileptic Disorders
A curriculum for epilepsy surgery: A report from the Surgical Commission's Epilepsy Surgery Educational Task Force and the Educational Council of the ILAE.
Christian Dorfer, Johannes M. Nico Enslin, Carrie R. Muh, Xiongfei Wang, Tatiana von Hertwig Fernandes de Olivera, Samuel Wiebe, Guy M. McKhann, Eyiyemisi Damisah, Faisal Al-Otaibi, Gagandeep Singh, Ingmar Blümcke, Bertil Rydenhag, Rushna P. Ali, Dario J. Englot, Mario Alonso Vanegas, J. Helen Cross, Arthur Cukiert, for the Epilepsy Surgery Education Taskforce and the Educational Council of the International League Against Epilepsy.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/epd2.70054