Conquest of Mount Aconcagua raises $65,695 for epilepsy research
Montreal, February 24, 2010 – Dr. Alain Bouthillier, neurosurgeon at the CHUM, has accomplished a double feat: climbing Mount Aconcagua and raising an impressive $65,695 for epilepsy research.
On January 23, 2010, Dr. Bouthillier reached the top of Mount Aconcagua. By ascending the 6,692 metres (22,814 feet) of the highest peak of the Andes Mountains, he joins an elite group of just 20% of climbers participating in the three-week expedition that actually make it to the top each year.
Although reaching the top of Mount Aconcagua was an exhilarating accomplishment in itself, this undertaking was more than just a sporting challenge for Dr. Bouthillier. His real goals were to raise awareness for epilepsy and to help fund research on the disorder. While he was busy facing the “Colossus of the Americas,” his colleagues, patients, and people in the business community joined forces to help make the fundraising campaign (organized jointly with the Fondation du CHUM) a great success.
Dr. Bouthillier is part of the team dedicated to the treatment of epilepsy at the CHUM, one of the leading groups of clinicians and healthcare professionals in Quebec dedicated to treating those afflicted by this condition. Neurologist Dr. Nguyen Dang Khoa and Dr. Bouthillier are the principal investigators in a study that headlined the Journal of Neurosurgery last June. The study examined insular surgery as a means of treating epilepsy patients that do not respond to medication.
Insular surgery, which had been abandoned since the 1950s, has recently been used successfully thanks to cutting-edge microsurgical techniques and a better understanding of the brain’s anatomy. Dr. Bouthillier performed the operation on a young woman suffering from recurrent seizures and who, because of the heavy medication she was on, was unable to get pregnant without risk of complications. Since her surgery, not only has she stopped taking anticonvulsants, she no longer has seizures and has successfully given birth to her first child.
An estimated 70,000 people in Quebec suffer from epilepsy. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to treat the disorder. "There is still so much to do,” says Dr. Bouthillier. “Research allows us to discover new treatments and improve the quality of life for patients with epilepsy.”
About the Groupe d’épilepsie du CHUM
The Groupe d’épilepsie du CHUM is one of the leading groups of clinicians and healthcare professionals in Quebec dedicated to treating those stricken by epilepsy. The unit is a centre of excellence which combines client services, fundamental and clinical research, and teaching. The team includes neurosurgeons with specialization in surgery for epilepsy, neuroradiologists, neuropsychologists, a neuropsychiatrist, electrophysiology technicians, nurse clinicians and research nurses.
About the Fondation du CHUM
The mission of the Fondation du CHUM is to provide the CHUM with an ongoing source of private funds to complement public funding, in order to help it improve patient care, acquire cutting-edge equipment and carry out research, teaching and health promotion activities. To make a donation to the Fondation du CHUM, visit our website at www.fondationduchum.com, or call 1 866 DON-CHUM (1 866 366-2486) or 514 890-8077, extension 35205. Giving… makes a world of difference!
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Photos available on request.
Source: Fondation du CHUM
Information:
Chantal Deleuil
514 890-8361
chantal.deleuil.chum@ssss.gouv.qc.ca