Epilepsy

Epilepsy and seizure treatments in Denver

An estimated 3.4 million adults and children in the U.S. have epilepsy. Causes range from head injuries and brain tumors to genetic illnesses, toxicities and other medical problems. The Swedish Neuro Network at HealthONE helps people with epilepsy by controlling their symptoms and improving their quality of life. To do this, we use a combination of medication and surgical procedures that provide targeted, comprehensive treatments.

To learn more about epilepsy treatment from the Swedish Neuro Network, call (303) 575-0055.

Comprehensive epilepsy care

We integrate leading-edge technology and equipment into every phase of care for our patients. These advanced resources include:

• Ambulatory electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring: This service allows adult patients to be monitored in the comfort of their own home. This may increase the likelihood of capturing patients' events because they are recorded in their routine environment. Recorded data is analyzed by our on-staff epileptologists to establish a baseline of epilepsy activity, which can then be used to justify inpatient intensive screening to third-party insurance companies.
• Long-term epilepsy monitoring unit: Rooms in this unit are fully furnished private hospital suites. They are equipped with the latest EEG video capabilities to provide round-the-clock screening of epilepsy activity. This helps us chart your condition and treatment progress.
• Pre-surgical diagnostic testing: This allows us to understand more about your condition so our treatments can be more effective. It includes medical imaging, such as EEGs and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). It also includes exams, such as neuropsychological evaluations, Wada testing, intracranial electrode evaluation and electrical brain mapping.

Our epilepsy specialists

We maintain an experienced team of multidisciplinary medical professionals who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of seizure disorders, including:

• Anesthesiologists
• Epileptologists
• Neurodiagnostic specialists
• Neurosurgeons
• Nurse care coordinator
• Rehabilitation specialists

Working together, this team is able to deliver precise and comprehensive care to patients from diagnosis through treatment.

Seizures and symptoms of epilepsy

Epilepsy—also known as "seizure disorder"—is a common chronic neurological disorder. During an epilepsy "attack," nerve cell activity in the brain becomes interrupted, causing unpredictable, recurring seizures, periods of odd behavior or, at times, loss of consciousness. So, even though some seizures may not seem very concerning, even mild seizures need to be treated because they may occur during activities such as driving, swimming or holding a child.

It is important to understand that seizures are symptoms of epilepsy, but may also be caused by other medical issues. An accurate diagnosis is critical to getting safe, effective treatment for any and all seizure-related conditions.

Treatment for epilepsy

Epilepsy affects people of all ages. Although children may outgrow the disorder, it is an incurable condition—but proper treatment can help.

We provide many options for symptom management, including advanced neurosurgeries, such as:

• Awake craniotomy
• Corpus callosotomies
• Hemispherectomies
• Frameless stereotaxy
• Functional mapping
• Lobectomies
• Responsive neurostimulation (RNS)
• Vagal nerve stimulator (VNS) implantation

We also offer more advanced treatments for movement disorders, such as epilepsy. This includes a technique known as neuromodulation, a nerve-stimulation process.