BEST EPILEPSY CENTER IN TURKEY
The Acıbadem HospitalsGroup Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery Department, performs all of the types of surgical interventions available in epilepsy surgery. Although the primary treatment of epilepsy is medical, patients do not respond to medication in about 20-30% of the cases. In such patients, an alternative is surgery. All three methods of epilepsy surgery (resective surgery, disconnection surgery, and vagal nerve stimulation) are performed with success at the Acıbadem Healthcare Group.
How is epilepsy diagnosed?
- Epilepsy is an entirely clinical diagnosis. An accurate diagnosis can be made following the hearing of a detailed history of the patient, or following the observation of a fit.
- The EEG (electroansephalography), a brain MR (magnetic resonance), a PET scan, SPECT, and neuropsychological evaluation are methods that help in the diagnosis of epilepsy.
How is epilepsy treated?
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- Treatment with medication
The patient is started on medication immediately after a diagnosis of epilepsy has been made. The decision on the type of medication to be used is made taking into consideration the types of seizures, the category of the epilepsy, and EEG and MR findings. The most frequently observed side effects are peeling of the skin, an increase in liver functions, and pressure on the spinal cord. Relatives of the patient are informed and cautioned about these side effects. Certain medication necessitates that the liver functions and blood counts of the patient be monitored in certain intervals. Although it varies with each patient, the medication must be continued to be used for at least two years. At the end of this term, it may be discontinued under the control of the doctor.
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- Surgical treatment
Treatment through surgery may be possible for patients who do not response to treatment with medicine (epilepsy with endurance). Most of these patients have abnormal MRs. These patients undergo methods such as focal resection (the excision of the area of concern), corpus callosotomy (the disconnection of the cerebral hemispheres), hemispherectomy (the disconnection of a single hemisphere of the brain with the other, in cases in which only side of the brain is damaged), and batteries (vagus nerve stimulation).
Acibadem Hospital
Child Epilepsy Center
In this center, patients undergo medical and surgical treatments of epilepsy. Divisions such as pediatric epileptology, pediatric neurology, pediatric brain surgery, pedagogy, neuroradiology, speech therapy, and physiotherapy work in together in collaboration in this center.
Comprehensive Spasticity Treatment
Monthly Spasticity Councils are held during which a multi-disciplinary team of pediatric and functional neurosurgeons, pediatric neurologists, orthopedists, speech therapists, and rehabilitation specialists evaluate and plan treatments for spastic children from throughout the country. Baclofen Pump Implantations, pallidotomies, thalamotomies, Deep Brain Stimulation implantations, and Selective Dorsal Rizotomies are performed on appropriate patients with promising results.
In each and every council, a high rate of guarantee of treatment is highly experienced physicians and superb medical infrastructure lead to the finest of results with high success rates that supercede international medical averages.