Every year about 100,000 children are diagnosed with intractable epilepsy — a chronic health condition that severely impacts their physical, social and emotional development.
Medication used to be the only treatment option available for this type of epilepsy. Now, thanks to advances in science and medical research, patients have several treatment options.
"Patients with intractable epilepsy need to be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team familiar with the full spectrum of pediatric epilepsy treatments," says Dr. Marcio Sotero de Menezes, co-director of Children's epilepsy program. "Our team is poised to evaluate and treat the most complex cases."
Children's Neurology department offers the only comprehensive epilepsy program dedicated to treating children in the Pacific Northwest. There are less than a dozen such programs in the United States.
The program is designed to meet more than just medical needs. "We realize the entire family is impacted by a child's illness and we are here to try and help them through it," says Patti Murphy, ARNP, pediatric neurology nurse practitioner. "Empowering parents to care for their children outside of the hospital, teaching them not to be afraid of their child's condition and explaining the complications of medications and seizures are essential parts of Children's epilepsy program."
Children's epilepsy team includes a number of pediatric specialists, including epileptologists (neurologists who have completed an additional fellowship focusing on epilepsy), neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, neuroradiologists, social workers, nurses, nurse practitioners and clinical nutritionists.