Epilepsy
Epilepsy, a neurological disorder, involves recurring seizures caused by abnormal brain activity. Additional symptoms you may face include unconsciousness, muscle spasms and irregular behaviors. Your care may include medication, therapy or brain surgery.
Pediatric epilepsy specialists in Dallas, Texas
When your child has a seizure, it can be a scary experience.
At Medical City Children's Hospital, our specialists offer compassionate and comprehensive epilepsy care to accurately diagnose and treat your child's epilepsy or seizure disorder.
Related specialties
Learn more about our related specialties.
Advanced pediatric epilepsy treatment
Pediatric neurologists on the medical staff at Medical City Children's Hospital provide care for seizures. A wide range of neurological treatment options are offered, including:
- Neuroradiology
- Epilepsy surgery
- Neurodiagnostics
- Neuropsychology
- Vagus nerve stimulation
Epilepsy evaluation
Our team also provides Child Life Services to help your child feel as comfortable as possible during their stay with us. From neurodiagnostic imaging to individualized treatment plans, Medical City Children's Hospital is here for your child from infancy through adulthood.
If your child experiences seizures, the first step of epilepsy treatment is admission into the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU). At the EMU, your child will receive continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) and video monitoring. During a seizure, the electrodes report electrical activity of the brain. We also videotape seizures to observe behavioral changes and help doctors make a definitive diagnosis.
Additionally, we perform the following tests:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)—This test provides structural information about any abnormal area of the brain.
- Positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)—These techniques show the energy metabolism and perfusion of blood flow in the brain to clarify the specific seizure types and the possible location of where the seizure started.
- Neuropsychological testing—These tests are used to confirm normal function of the unaffected areas of the brain.
What happens after your child's epilepsy evaluation?
We are committed to providing individualized care for your child. After your child's epilepsy evaluation, the team of neurology experts will discuss the results and determine an individualized treatment plan.
Epilepsy surgery at Medical City Children's Hospital
Epilepsy surgery removes the seizure disorder's cause, such as a brain tumor, arteriovenous malformation or lesion. Procedures we perform include:
Lobectomy
When seizures arise from one area of the brain, a surgeon can perform a lobectomy, an operation to remove part or all of a brain lobe. The most common surgery is a left temporal lobectomy.
Hemispherectomy and hemispherotomy
If seizures originate from multiple areas of one hemisphere, the condition may require a more extensive operation, such as a hemispherectomy or hemispherotomy. During a hemispherectomy, the surgeon removes all or most of one hemisphere (side) of the brain. This does not impair thinking ability but may cause weakness and loss of movement on the opposite side of the body. A hemispherotomy disconnects tissue but does not remove it.
Corpus colostomy
A corpus colostomy prevents seizures from spreading from one hemisphere to the other. Severing the corpus callosum, which connects the two halves of the brain, does not stop seizures altogether, but it usually lessens the severity of them.
Getting to the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU)
The EMU is located on the eighth floor of Building B at Medical City Dallas. Before coming to your appointment, please go to Building A to check-in. We provide garage parking for $4 a day.
For more information about referrals and what to expect during epilepsy monitoring, please call (972) 566-7411.