Epilepsy

About 10% of people will experience a seizure in their lifetime

At Aurora BayCare, our epilepsy program is a regional referral center for patients throughout Northeast Wisconsin. We have the only epileptologist serving Green Bay and the Fox Valley area.

When it comes to treating seizures, we offer fresh hope and expertise, including access to clinical trials. Many times, patients who come to us having already “tried everything” are able to find significant relief or a permanent cure for their seizures.

Most people with epilepsy eventually respond to treatment and can return to leading normal lives. New therapies and surgical techniques make it possible to control seizure disorders once thought to be untreatable. Generally, 85% of patients have at least a 90% seizure reduction after treatment.

What is an Epileptologist?

Epileptologist physician in mask

An epileptologist (epp-ill-epp-tol-ogist) is an expert in seizures and seizure disorders. This specialist is a neurologist who has gone through additional training and created a focused practice on treating people with epilepsy.

With an epileptologist on our neuroscience team, we can offer thorough diagnostics, more complex monitoring, and a wider range of epilepsy treatment options. We are Northeast Wisconsin’s regional experts in diagnosing and treating epileptic seizures.

Diagnosing Epilepsy

Not all seizures are epileptic in origin. In order to make an initial diagnosis, your patient care will begin with a complete evaluation to rule out other causes for your seizures.  The following tests may be conducted:

  • CT (computed tomography)
  • MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
  • EEG recording (Electroencephalography or brainwave recordings)
  • 24-hour video EEG monitoring
  • Neuropsychological tests
  • Wada testing

During the evaluation process, seizure medications are discontinued or tapered and brain activity is monitored to evaluate for seizure activity.

Epilepsy Treatments
Once you have been diagnosed with epilepsy, the next step is to select the best treatment option. The goal is to help patients lead normal, active lives, free from seizures and medical side effects.

Treatment options may include:

  • Epilepsy medications
  • Special diets
  • Brain devices, such as a vagus nerve stimulator
  • Surgery
  • Clinical trials

Epilepsy Monitoring

Patients whose seizures can’t be controlled with medications, and those who may be candidates for epilepsy surgery, are often scheduled for long-term epilepsy monitoring. This can be done right here in Green Bay in our epilepsy monitoring unit.

Long term epilepsy monitoring (LTEM) involves the simultaneous use of video and EEG recordings during your hospital stay. Video-EEG monitoring provides the most detailed information regarding brainwaves and behavior during seizures. Information from the study is used to determine if surgery is a viable treatment or if other options should be considered.

Epilepsy Research

As part of the Aurora Health System, we are linked to Aurora’s Regional Epilepsy Center. Located at the Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, it is one of only a few comprehensive epilepsy treatment programs in the Midwest.

The Aurora Regional Epilepsy Center is involved in ongoing clinical trials. As a patient at Aurora BayCare, you will have access to the latest in epilepsy research and treatment options.