Comprehensive Epilepsy Guide

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Improving Life for Children with Epilepsy

As a part of the #1 pediatric hospital in the U.S., we help children who are having seizures achieve the best quality of life possible. This means minimizing seizures, reducing medication side effects, addressing emotional and developmental concerns, and helping families better understand their child’s condition. If your child is experiencing seizures, our multidisciplinary team will be with you every step of the way.

Expert Epilepsy Care in One Location

The Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Cincinnati Children’s is one of the largest pediatric epilepsy centers in the world. Our team of experts uses advanced diagnostic and surgical techniques to treat the most complex cases of intractable (uncontrolled) epilepsy. Epilepsy becomes intractable if a child’s seizures continue despite taking two types of seizure medicines. We are able to dramatically reduce the severity and occurrence of seizures and, when possible, eliminate them altogether.

Treatment for Every Type of Intractable Epilepsy

Our innovative approach to diagnosis gives way to advanced medical and surgical treatment possibilities for all types of pediatric intractable epilepsy, including:

  • Partial non-lesional epilepsy
  • Partial lesional and non-lesional epilepsy
  • Single lesional epilepsy
  • Holohemispheric epilepsy
  • Neocortical epilepsy
  • Temporal lobe epilepsy
  • Frontal lobe epilepsy
  • Parietal lobe epilepsy
  • Occipital lobe epilepsy
  • Multi-lesional epilepsy (tuberous sclerosis)

Our team of specialists also treats the different types of seizures associated with epilepsy, such as partial, drop, absence/petit mal and grand mal (generalized tonic-clonic) seizures, as well as infantile spasms and epileptic spasms. 

Why Choose Cincinnati Children’s?

Proven Results

Cincinnati Children's is a level 4 epilepsy treatment center, a distinction given only to those qualified to treat even the most complex seizure disorders. We have one of the largest pediatric epilepsy surgery programs, performing 100+ surgeries per year.

Our surgical patients typically experience a significant decrease in seizures, sometimes more than a 90% reduction. More than 50% of patients undergoing surgery for removal of seizure focus have achieved complete seizure freedom post-surgery.

Family-Centered Approach

We ensure you have decision-making power throughout your child’s treatment & recovery. We have a support program to help you connect with other families whose children have had a similar surgery.

Families travel to Cincinnati Children’s from all over the world to get care from our specialized team of experts. Find out more about the services we offer out-of-state patients to make your stay more comfortable.

Integrated Approach to Care

Epilepsy and the therapies used to treat it can affect many aspects of a child’s life—physical, psychological and social. We work together to evaluate each child’s condition from multiple perspectives. Our team includes pediatric neurologists and neurosurgeons, clinical psychologists, nurse practitioners, nurses, genetic counselors, social workers, a clinical pharmacist and dieticians.

These individuals specialize in epilepsy and collaborate in one location to create a customized treatment plan for your child. Families receive the care they need without making multiple trips to several locations.

Innovative Research

Cincinnati Children’s receives among the largest amounts of NIH funding for pediatric epilepsy research in the nation, enabling us to offer the most advanced technologies and surgical techniques based on the latest research findings. We conduct clinical trials for children with epilepsy - leading to a greater understanding of the condition and developing ways to improve quality of life.

Advanced Technology

Our program is one of only a few in the United States to offer the full complement of diagnostic tests and tools needed to evaluate pediatric patients with epilepsy.

Epilepsy surgeries take place in the hospital’s stereotactic surgical suite, or BrainSUITE. The technology allows our neurosurgeons to treat patients who would once have been considered inoperable because of where their seizure focus was located.

Cincinnati Children’s was the first pediatric hospital in the world to use the BrainSUITE concept in the operating room, with an integrated neurosurgical microscope, high-definition screens and a specialized bed with comprehensive magnetic resonance imaging capabilities.

Learn more about our advanced technologies.

Second Opinion Service

A second opinion from our team can reassure families that their child is receiving the best possible care – or offer insights about other treatment options available at Cincinnati Children’s.