A hemispherectomy is a surgical procedure in which one of the halves of the brain is either removed or disabled. It is a highly uncommon operation that is normally only used to treat epilepsy when it is centralized on one-half of the brain. Hemispherectomy is a surgery used when all other options have failed because there are many possible complications that go along with it. Some of these complications include infections, CSF leakage, and death. This is why many doctors and patients prefer to steer away from the surgery. Ben Carson is one of few neurosurgeons who approves the use of hemispherectomies. He was very successful in the majority of his operations with very few deaths attributed to his procedure. Carson’s philosophy on hemispherectomies
