Conquest of Mount Aconcagua raises $65,695 for epilepsy research
Dr. Bouthillier and Isabelle Tremblay, a recovery room nurse at the CHUM, proudly pose for the camera at the summit of Mount Aconcagua.
Montreal, February 25, 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.”
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