Treatments
The Summa Health Comprehensive Epilepsy Center offers many treatments options to meet you and your needs.
- Medication
- Surgical procedures
- Epilepsy-specific diets
- Behavioral health programs
- Telehealth
While seizure medicines are the mainstay of epilepsy treatment, other treatment options include:
State-of-the-art surgical procedures
Surgery is a great treatment option if your anti-seizure medication is no longer effective in managing your epilepsy.
- Temporal lobe resection surgery (removal of small brain abnormality that is causing seizures) is performed to remove isolated lesions, such as tumors or congenital malformations of blood vessels in the brain that have been identified as the primary seizure focus. Leading-edge stereotactic (three-dimensional) imaging and surgical localization techniques are often used to further aid the surgeon in defining the specific area to be resected and can help limit the size of the incision required for the resection.
- Responsive neurostimulation (RNS) reduces the frequency of seizures that can’t be controlled with medication or surgical resection. The RNS System consists of a small, battery-powered neurostimulator that sends pulses to disrupt abnormal activity and reduce seizure frequency.
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) is a treatment for epilepsy that involves a stimulator (or pulse generator) which is connected, inside the body, to the left vagus nerve in the neck. The stimulator sends regular, mild electrical stimulations through this nerve to help calm down the irregular electrical brain activity that leads to seizures.
Epilepsy-specific diets
Epilepsy diets are high in fat and low in carbohydrates. When using an epilepsy diet, your body burns fats for energy instead of carbohydrates. This process results in the release of ketones within the body that reduces the irritability of the brain reducing the frequency of seizures.
Diet strategies are individualized to your needs based on seizure type and frequency, medical history, family support and nutritional needs. An epilepsy diet will be selected during your initial visit with your registered dietitian. Diet options include:
- Modified Atkins Diet
- Low Glycemic Index
- Medium-Chain Triglyceride Diet
- Ketogenic Diet
Behavioral health programs
- Psychiatry and trauma-based therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy are helpful options for those experiencing non-epileptic seizures and for those living with epilepsy, as 70 percent of those patients have a comorbid mood disorder.
Telehealth
Distance should not keep you from having access to high-quality care. The Summa Health Comprehensive Epilepsy Center offers convenient virtual appointments that allows you to meet with a provider near and far.
