Pediatric Epilepsy Program
Sutter Children's Center, Sacramento
At Sutter Children’s Center, Sacramento we believe every child with epilepsy or seizure disorders should have the opportunity to receive proper diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. Our epileptologist, neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, neuroradiologists, and nutritionists have special training and experience in treating epilepsy in children and work together to diagnose and treat the condition through medical and surgical intervention.
Diagnosis
Treatment begins by pinpointing the classification of seizures through diagnostic exams and tests. At Sutter, our specialists use a number of clinical and behavioral tests to arrive at a diagnosis, these include:
- Comprehensive neurological examination
- Epilepsy genetic testing
- EEG monitoring
- Neuro-imaging including MRI studies, CT, PET, brain spectroscopy and angiography
- Neuropsychological evaluation
Treatment
Once the exact type of seizure is known, our specialists work with the patient and family on a tailored treatment plan, some options include:
- Anticonvulsive medications
- Ketogenic diet
- Laser tissue ablation surgery (Visualase)
- Neurosurgery
- Vagus nerve stimulation
Program Highlights
Epileptologist
Michael G. Chez, M.D., fellowship-trained epileptologist and board-certified pediatric neurologist, is medical director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Program, bringing more than 20 years experience providing complex diagnostic consultation and coordination of pharmacologic and surgical options, including brain mapping techniques, for children with epilepsy.
Pediatric Neurology
Our program has services of five pediatric neurologists who offer initial diagnostic and initial epilepsy management within our Pediatric Epilepsy Program.
Neurosurgery
With the expertise of our fellowship-trained pediatric and adult neurosurgeons, we are able to offer cutting-edge neurosurgical care, including laser tissue ablation surgery, vagus nerve stimulation, functional brain mapping, resection, corpus callosotomy and hemispherectomy.
Inpatient Care
The Sutter Children’s Center, Sacramento recently expanded the number of dedicated beds for 24-hour electroencephalogram (EEG), video and audio monitoring and now offers the largest number pediatric epilepsy monitoring beds in California. This allows us to provide the patient and their family with a diagnosis faster then ever before, and long-term monitoring for those who need further testing used to more clearly define where seizures originate.
Rehabilitation
Our program includes the expertise of a pediatric rehabilitation specialist, inpatient rehabilitation at the Children’s Center and a new outpatient pediatric rehabilitation clinic and gym.
Research
Our specialists participate in clinical trials for experimental treatments which frequently lead to improved patient care for people worldwide.
Our Pediatric Epilepsy Team & Referrals
Our pediatric epileptologist is:
Our Pediatric Neurology Team includes:
- Shailesh Asaikar, M.D.
- Susan L. Caffery, MSN, FNP, R.N.
- Nalini Chandra, M.D.
- Michael Chez, M.D.
- Paul Chretien, M.D.
- Amer Khan, M.D.
- Ashutosh Raina, M.D.
Our pediatric neurosurgeons are:
For more information or a referral to the Pediatric Epilepsy program, call Sutter Neuroscience Institute at (888) 287-2270 or contact one of our physicians directly.
Parent Support Group
Our parent’s group supports the parents of children with epilepsy in the Sacramento Region. Our goal is to provide a forum in which parents can receive helpful information from guest speakers and other parents dealing with epilepsy-related issues. Learn More about the Parent Support Group
