Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 4/8/2009

Question
My mother suffered 2 withdrawal seizures in one day after detox in June 2008 from ativan, she has no history of epilepsy.  She is still on low dose of Depakote 9 months later and has not had any reoccurence.  She has a breast lump to be surgically removed in one week. How high is her risk of experiencing a seizure if she is put under general anesthesia now?  Should she wait longer before entering surgery?

Answer
If she has gone 9 months without a seizure (and the seizure was due to withdrawl and not epilepsy), then surgery at this time should not be a problem (assuming of course that she did not resume her addictive habit).


Ronald Levy, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston