SynthesisNeurosurgical review2026
Barriers to care in epilepsy surgery clinics in Latin America: a systematic review of social-economic impact.
Synthesis in Neurosurgical review, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Epilepsy surgery remains underutilized in Latin America despite its proven effectiveness for drug-resistant epilepsy. Structural and socioeconomic barriers may contribute to limited access and delayed intervention. To systematically evaluate the clinical characteristics, surgical outcomes, and socioeconomic barriers to accessibility associated with epilepsy surgery in Latin America. A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and SciELO. Studies were included if they reported original data on epilepsy surgery in Latin American populations. Data on demographics, epilepsy type, and surgical outcomes were extracted and analyzed descriptively. Barriers such as geographic centralization, economic constraints, lack of specialized centers, and limited diagnostic infrastructure were also identified and examined. Of 103 initial records, 10 studies met all inclusion criteria. Most were retrospective observational studies from Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and Chile. The mean age at surgery was 30.3 years, with an average diagnostic-to-surgery delay of 17.1 years. Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy was the most common subtype. Seizure freedom (Engel Class I) was achieved in 43.7% to 85% of cases. However, only 3.8% of eligible patients underwent surgery in some cohorts. Barriers included geographic centralization, economic constraints, lack of specialized centers, limited diagnostic infrastructure, cultural stigma, and under-referral from physicians. Quality-of-life improvements and psychosocial reintegration were observed postoperatively, yet disparities in access persisted. Despite favorable surgical outcomes, epilepsy surgery in Latin America remains significantly delayed and centralized. Health system limitations and socioeconomic inequities continue to restrict timely and equitable access. Regional policies must prioritize early referral pathways, surgical infrastructure, and financial protection to reduce the epilepsy treatment gap.
Indexed as
Identifiers
41504799What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.