Since its establishment in 1991, the Sutter Comprehensive Epilepsy Program has become a regional leader in diagnosing and treating children and adults with epilepsy and epilepsy-like seizures. The program staff includes pioneering researchers dedicated to finding better ways to detect epilepsy and provide effective, minimally disruptive treatments.

Patients served include those who have not been helped by standard medications or who have experienced troublesome side effects, patients experiencing epilepsy-like seizures with no definitive cause, and patients who may be candidates for epilepsy surgery, vagus nerve stimulators, Gamma Knife® radiosurgery treatment or ketogenic diet therapy.

Medical care is provided through a multidisciplinary approach that includes epileptologists, pediatric, and adult neurosurgeons, neuro-nursing staff, and a 24-hour staff of monitoring technicians. Referring physicians are encouraged to be part of the team and to maintain involvement in the patient's ongoing care. In addition to medical treatment, the program offers extensive support for patients and families facing the ongoing challenges of epilepsy.

Monitoring services available include:

• Five adult and two pediatric monitoring beds monitored by specialized staff 24 hours a day


• Ambulatory electroencephalography (EEG)


• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies


• PET and SPECT scans


• Special implanted electrode for detailing seizure focus


• Wada testing to identify dominate hemisphere for speech and hearing


• Electrocorticography mapping of the borders of the seizure focus during surgical resection


• Functional cortical mapping to identify eloquent tissue areas of the brain

Available treatments include:

• Tailored medication, including access to clinical trials


• Surgery, including lobectomy, multiple subpial transaction, corpus callosotomy and hemispherectomy


• Gamma Knife® radiosurgery


• Vagus nerve stimulation therapy


• Ketogenic diet

For more information, please call (916) 733-8338.