Care for Seizure Disorders

‘It doesn’t define me’—Debbie Willis of Philadelphia, Pa., is vibrantly healthy in spite of having a seizure disorder.

If you have seizures, you’re not alone. Epilepsy–the name for recurring, unprovoked seizures–is one of the most common neurological conditions. Epilepsy and other seizure disorders are electrical disturbances in the brain. There are many possible causes:

• Runs in your family (genetics)
• Metabolic disorders
• Endocrine disorders
• Blood flow problems (vascular disorders)
• Injury (trauma)
• Inflammation
• Infection

Discovering the cause of your seizure disorder is key to effective treatment.

Diagnosis

Our experienced staff uses state-of-the-art equipment to diagnose seizure disorders: 

Treatment

If you have seizures, your treatment may be medical or surgical. Medications with fewer side effects and better results include Neurontin, Felbatol, Lamictal, Topamax, Zonegran, Gabitril, Trileptal and Keppra. They represent a new wave of medications that can significantly improve the control of seizure disorders. Our experienced neurologists at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network can prescribe the best drug for you.

When medicines don’t control seizure disorders, surgery has helped some people improve dramatically. Our neurosurgeons are experienced in:

• Vagus nerve stimulation
• Corpus callosum sectioning
• Temporal lobectomy
• Seizure focus ablative surgery

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