
In an important step towards improving epilepsy treatment in Georgia, a team of experts from MedUni Vienna successfully collaborated with Georgian colleagues as part of the ILAE Mentorship Programme. The aim of the programme, which took place in October and November 2024, was to expand the country’s medical capacities, particularly in the field of neurosurgical treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. Training, counselling and targeted case evaluations made a significant contribution to the further development of epilepsy surgery care.
Epilepsy care in Georgia has improved over the past two decades, but there is still a significant gap in terms of neurosurgical options, especially for children and adolescents. A remarkable number of people with drug-resistant epilepsy, especially children, often have to travel abroad for surgery, which is often financially and logistically burdensome. The ILAE Mentorship Programme, supported by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), aims to close these gaps by training local healthcare professionals, assessing patients for surgery and helping to establish a comprehensive epilepsy surgery programme.
The programme involved experts from Austria and Georgia. On the Austrian side, Christian Dorfer, Department of Neurosurgery, and Ekaterina Pataraia, Department of Neurology, both at MedUni Vienna, led the project. In Georgia, the team with a number of local colleagues, including from the fields of neurology, paediatric neurology, neurosurgery, neuropsychology and radiology.
Project in several phases
From March 2024, local neurologists in Tbilisi began selecting suitable candidates for epilepsy surgery. During her stay in July, Ekaterina Pataraia examined these selected cases for the next phase of From 28 October to 1 November 2024, these patients were examined personally by Christian Dorfer and Ekaterina Pataraia together with their Georgian colleagues in Tbilisi. Meetings not only with the patients but also with their families were also essential during this time in order to discuss possible surgical procedures and build trust.
A total of 14 cases were discussed and the further surgical procedure was determined for selected patients. In addition to these individual case discussions, Christian Dorfer and Ekaterina Pataraia visited several important medical institutions, including the Iashvili Children’s Hospital and the Caucasian Medical Centre. The aim of these visits was to assess the infrastructural and medical possibilities for epilepsy surgery in Tbilisi. A particular highlight of the visit was the symposium on 30 October, at which both local and international experts provided insights into the latest techniques in epilepsy surgery. Lado Tsikarishvili, neurosurgeon at Iashvili Children’s Hospital, and Christian Dorfer gave presentations that gave the healthcare professionals in attendance the opportunity to discuss their collaboration.
The second visit to Tbilisi took place a few weeks later, from 25 to 30 November 2024, and focused primarily on the further assessment of patients. A decisive step in this phase was the performance of the first epilepsy surgery on three patients by Christian Dorfer in collaboration with the local neurosurgical team. Various procedures were used, including a lesionectomy, an extended temporal lobe resection and a selective amygdalohippocampectomy. In addition, six other patients opted for surgery, which was scheduled for April 2025.
A vision for the future
The mentorship programme lays the foundation for a sustainable network for epilepsy surgery in Georgia. In the future, continuous cooperation between Austrian and Georgian colleagues is expected to further improve neurosurgical capacities and treatment options for people with epilepsy in the region.
"This mentorship initiative is an important milestone in expanding access to life-changing epilepsy surgery for the people who need it most. Our collaboration with our Georgian colleagues has been crucial in achieving these results, and we look forward to continuing this work in the future," says Christian Dorfer. "These operations mark the beginning of a new era in epilepsy care in Georgia, as local specialists are now better able to perform complex procedures," adds Ekaterina Pataraia.
The ILAE Mentorship Programme is part of an ongoing effort to address global health issues and improve access to advanced medical treatments worldwide.