Why a treatment name alone is not enough
When you write "tried carbamazepine" or "had vagus nerve stimulation," the receiving clinician cannot tell whether that treatment failed, partially helped, or was stopped for another reason. Epilepsy surgery can be considered for selected people whose seizures are not controlled by medicines, and assessment examines potential benefits and risks. That assessment depends on knowing what previous treatments actually did.
A treatment name without a result is like a diagnosis without symptoms. It tells the clinician what was prescribed but not what happened. For surgical evaluation, the pattern of response matters: did seizures stop completely, reduce in frequency, change in type, or remain unchanged? Did the treatment cause side effects that led to stopping? Was the dose adequate? These details shape whether the team considers you a potential candidate for further presurgical workup.
This is not about proving you tried hard enough. It is about giving the evaluating team a clear picture of your epilepsy's biology and your treatment history. A well-described treatment history can help the team decide which assessments are needed and which questions to ask.
What to record for each previous treatment
For every antiseizure medication, device, diet, or surgery you have tried, aim to capture four things: the treatment name and dose, the dates it was used, the effect on seizures, and the reason it was stopped or changed. The effect on seizures is the part that changes how the team reads your history, and it is the part people tend to leave out.
Describe the effect in concrete terms. For example: "Before treatment, I had three focal aware seizures per week. After reaching 200 mg twice daily, I had one per month for six months. Then seizures returned to three per week, so the dose was increased, but I developed dizziness and stopped." This kind of description gives the clinician a timeline and a dose-response pattern.
If you do not remember exact numbers, describe what you can. "Seizures reduced by about half for several months" is more useful than "it helped a bit." If you have a seizure diary, bring it. If not, reconstruct from memory with your family's help. The goal is accuracy, not perfection.
- Treatment name, dose, and formulation (for example, extended-release).
- Start and stop dates, even if approximate.
- Seizure type and frequency before, during, and after treatment.
- Side effects and whether they led to stopping or dose change.
- Who prescribed it and where the records are held.
Describing non-medication treatments and surgeries
If you have had epilepsy surgery before, or a device such as vagus nerve stimulation, describe the outcome in the same way: what changed, for how long, and what happened afterward. For surgery, include the date, the hospital, the type of operation if known, and whether seizures returned. If you have had more than one operation, describe each separately.
For dietary treatments such as the ketogenic diet, record how long you followed it, how strictly, and what effect it had on seizures. For devices, note whether the settings were adjusted, whether the device is still active, and whether any complications occurred.
Do not assume that a previous surgery rules out further evaluation. It may change the assessment plan, but the treating team needs the details to understand your individual situation. If you do not have the operative report, ask the hospital where you had surgery for a copy. If that is not possible, write what you remember and note that the records are unavailable.
Diagnostic studies that support the treatment history
Treatment results are more useful when paired with the diagnostic studies that were done at the time. For epilepsy, these may include EEG, MRI, video-EEG monitoring, neuropsychological testing, or other investigations your treating team ordered. You do not need to decide which tests are necessary for surgical evaluation in China; that is a clinical judgement for the receiving team.
What you can do is gather the reports you already have and note the dates. If you have had multiple EEGs or MRIs, list them in order. If you have images on disc, bring them. If you only have reports, bring those. The evaluating team can tell you what else they need after reviewing what you send.
When you write your summary, connect the studies to the treatment decisions. For example: "MRI in 2022 showed a lesion in the left temporal lobe. I started levetiracetam after that, but seizures continued." This helps the clinician see the sequence of events.
Questions the treating team will need to answer
Before you travel, you need to know what the hospital requires and how the assessment will be organised. These are questions to confirm with the specific provider, not assumptions you should make in advance. Ask whether they need records translated, whether they accept images on disc, and how they prefer to receive the summary. The answers change what you pack, what you arrange before departure, and how long you may need to stay.
Ask which presurgical assessments are needed in your case. The answer may depend on your seizure history and previous studies, so a general list of tests is less useful than a plan built around your records. Ask whether any of those assessments could be started locally before you travel, and which ones require the hospital's own equipment or team.
Ask how continuing neurological care would be coordinated after the visit, including who would manage your antiseizure medications and how follow-up would work if you return home. This matters because epilepsy care is long-term. If the visit produces a plan, you need to know who carries it out, how prescriptions continue, and how the treating team would stay in contact with your local clinician.
Ask what the written estimate or plan includes and what remains undecided. Hospital fees, coordination fees, and travel costs are separate. The hospital decides suitability for any procedure after assessment. An initial enquiry does not require buying a proxy consultation, and a records review does not establish final eligibility.
One practical way to organise this is to write your questions down before contact and send them together. A short, specific list is easier for the hospital to answer than a series of separate messages, and the replies give you something concrete to compare if you approach more than one provider.
- Which records do you need from me, and in what format?
- Which assessments would be arranged during a visit, and which could be done locally first?
- How would my antiseizure medications be managed during and after the visit?
- What does your written plan include, and what is still to be confirmed?
Preparing a clear summary and taking the next step
Write a one-page summary in plain language. Start with your epilepsy diagnosis and seizure types. Then list each treatment in order, with the four details: name and dose, dates, effect on seizures, and reason for stopping. Add a short list of diagnostic studies with dates and where the reports are held. End with your main question for the treating team.
Keep the first contact brief. You can send a short summary by the enquiry form, email, or WhatsApp. The team will explain how to share records after first contact. Do not send passport numbers, card details, or a complete medical archive in the initial message.
If seizures are worsening or you have new symptoms, seek local medical care first. An overseas enquiry should not delay urgent assessment. For non-urgent planning, the next step is to prepare your treatment-results summary and ask the hospital what they need to review it. The initial case review is free and does not commit you to any paid service.
Sources & scope of this guide
References and official service information relevant to this guide.
This is general planning information and has not been individually reviewed by a doctor. Medical decisions and personal treatment advice come from your treating clinicians.