Banner Health’s compassionate, experienced team with epilepsy specialists is dedicated to helping you effectively manage your epilepsy symptoms to live your life to the fullest. We work with you to build an individualized treatment plan specific to your needs and are by your side to support and guide you each step of the way.
Although there’s no cure for epilepsy, most people can effectively manage their symptoms. The right epilepsy treatment can make a big difference in your quality of life. Based on the type, frequency and severity of your seizures, and your overall health and medical history, your care team may recommend medication, surgery, rehabilitation and/or other therapies.
Seizures generally can be controlled with medication. Anti-seizure drugs reduce frequency, severity or eliminate epileptic seizures.
Potential side effects of epilepsy medications:
Medications may be available as a tablet, liquid or injectable. To be effective, it’s important you take your medication as prescribed and avoid changing seizure medications without a prescription. Your neurologist will evaluate and manage your seizure medications.
If medication is not effectively managing your seizures, your epileptologists will perform an evaluation as to whether you are a surgery candidate. If you are a good candidate, our neurosurgeons with epilepsy surgery training can provide surgical interventions. Brain surgery for epilepsy involves removing or altering the part of the brain causing your seizures. This surgery is done to reduce seizure frequency or severity or eliminate seizures completely. After surgery, some people can decrease or stop taking anti-seizure medications. Alternatively, laser ablation or electrical stimulation to abort seizures may be offered to you.
It is important to remember that this is a multidisciplinary approach from the beginning to the end and your neurologist, epileptologists and neurosurgeon work closely together to determine the best option for you.
For some patients, trying to localize the specific area where the epileptic seizures are originating can be difficult. For these patients, placing small electrodes inside the brain and monitoring them 24/7 inside a special unit in the hospital can give useful information to the epileptologists and neurosurgeons about where the seizure focus might be.
There are different kinds of seizure surgeries for epilepsy:
As with any surgery, there are risks of swelling, nerve damage, anesthesia reactions, bleeding or infection. Additionally, with brain surgery, talk to your doctor about the risk of:
Learn more about neurosurgery from the experts at Banner Health.
To further help you cope with your epilepsy, you also may consider:
Trying a ketogenic diet: Some patients have found ketogenic diet, which is high-fat and low-carbohydrate, helps reduce the frequency of seizures. It’s often used with children when seizures don’t respond to medications. Before you change your diet, talk to your doctor and consider working with a nutritionist to ensure proper nutrition and monitoring
Banner Health is a leader in epilepsy care. We’re nationally recognized for our excellent care and commitment to safety for seizure disorders. Our goal is to tailor a treatment plan to your needs to effectively control your epilepsy. Our multidisciplinary team works with you, seeking your feedback and direction, as well as keeping you up to date about your care and options.
Banner Health is experienced in treating even the most challenging seizure disorders. Our patients benefit from the latest treatments and most advanced surgical options. Talk to your doctor aboutclinical trialsavailable.
联合国全面癫痫中心的工作人员derstand the impact epilepsy has on our patients and their families. We’re here to help you through the challenges you face. Our resources include classes and support groups {link to page} to give you the tools you need to navigate your epilepsy diagnosis and treatment.
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