Montreal procedure

The Montreal procedure is a surgical procedure pioneered by Dr. Wilder Penfield of Montreal, Canada, in the 1930s. It is effective in the treatment of epilepsy.

Dr. Penfield developed the "Montreal procedure" as a new neurological approach to eliminating epileptic seizures. The surgeon administers a local anaesthetic to the patient so he or she remains conscious during surgery. The surgeon then removes a piece of skull to expose the brain tissue. In response to probing, the conscious patient can describe his or her feelings so the surgeon can identify the exact location of seizure activity. Dr. Penfield discovered that the removal of the brain tissue in this location contributes to ending the epileptic patient's seizures.

More than half of the patients treated with this new method, which became known as the "Montreal Procedure," were cured of seizures. Dr. Penfield himself performed the operation more than any other neurosurgeon in the world.

References

• Famous Canadian Physicians at Library and Archives Canada