Epilepsy & Seizure Disorders
UI Health's expert care teams are committed to advancing treatments and diagnoses for a variety of neurological conditions, including seizures. Patients who have two or more seizures may be diagnosed with epilepsy. UI Health's skilled epileptologists and specialized neurosurgeons are here to care for you.
Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
The Epilepsy Program at UI Health is a team of neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, and nurses highly specialized in the management of epilepsy.
Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disease, affecting as many as one in 26 people in their lifetime. It is a chronic disorder, the hallmark of which is recurrent, unprovoked seizures. Many people with epilepsy may have more than one type of seizure, and the specific diagnosis of the epilepsy type depends on type of seizure experienced, age of onset of seizures, genetic history, and possible presence of brain lesions. Seizures are classified by where they begin in the brain. The two types of seizures are referred to as generalized and localized.
Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
At UI Health, Dr. Serafini and Dr. Pucci work together as a team to help patients, particularly those whose seizures aren’t well managed with medication. Together, they consult with patients about their options for minimally invasive surgery or other treatments so patients can live well with epilepsy.
Accredited Level 4 Epilepsy Center
UI Health is accredited as a Level 4 Epilepsy Center by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers for expertise in evaluating, monitoring, and treating patients with complex epilepsy.
Women with Epilepsy
Our program also offers a dedicated clinic for women with epilepsy, led by Dr. Anna Serafini. Epilepsy in women brings many issues that need to be addressed and discussed: Epilepsy and seizure drugs may affect birth control, hormone levels, and the female reproductive cycle, and seizures and medications also can have an effect on pregnancy. Dr. Serafini works closely with patients’ primary care physicians and OB/GYNs to provide comprehensive care for all women with epilepsy.
Experts in Diagnosis, Treatment, Surgery & Monitoring
Our Epilepsy Team works together to provide individualized treatment and management plans for every patient.
Diagnosis: Our team of experts works and collaborates to provide timely diagnosis for every patient.
Treatment/Surgery: At UI Health, we offer various treatments from medication and surgical treatment to lifestyle changes. Our goal is to provide our patients with treatment options that best fit their individual needs and result in the best outcomes possible.
Monitoring: State-of-the-art technology allows our team of epilepsy specialists to monitor a patient’s brain activity and body movements to provide the best diagnosis and treatment plan.
Epilepsy Surgery
While medication is a primary treatment option for some patients. Surgery offers alternative solutions to patients that have not found success with medication. Our neurosurgeons utilize cutting-edge technology to perform SEEG is the surgical implantation of electrodes into the brain to better localize the seizure focus. This state-of-the-art surgery helps pinpoint the precise location of seizures in a patient’s brain.
Our Team
Our multidisciplinary team includes epileptologists — neurologists who specialize in treating epilepsy and seizure disorders — functional neurosurgeons, clinical nurses, neuropsychologists, and electroencephalogram (EEG) technologists. Our team is committed to providing excellent care for patients with seizures, developing a comprehensive treatment plan that manages patients’ symptoms, and improves their quality of life.
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Hossam AbdelSalam, MD
Pediatric Neurology -
Saba Ahmad, MD
Pediatric Neurology -
Jared Davis, MD
Neurology and Neurosurgery -
Huan Huynh, MD
Neurology -
Kyle Jennette, PhD, MA
Neuropsychology -
Nikolas Mata Machado, MD, MHA
Pediatric Neurology -
Neil Pliskin, PhD
Psychiatry Services -
Francesco Pucci, MD
Neurosurgery -
Konstantin Slavin, MD
Neurosurgery
Meet the Director
Dr. Anna Serafini is the medical director of the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at UI Health. Dr. Serafini specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy and seizures. Her clinical interests and research focuses are on identifying the source of a patient’s seizures, and epilepsy surgery. Dr. Serafini also has a particular interest in women’s epilepsy issues, including contraception complications and the management of seizures and antiepileptic medications during pregnancy. Her expertise in the treatment of complicated and drug-resistant epilepsy includes training in Italy and France.Our Services
The UI Health Epilepsy Center offers extensive services to help patients diagnose, treat, and monitor seizures and seizure disorders like epilepsy. This includes:
- Deep Brain Stimulation
- Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and Inpatient EEG
- ECoG
- Functional MRI
- MRI
- Neuropsychological Testing
- Nutritional Counseling
- Outpatient EEG
- PET
- Robotic/Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery
- SPECT
- Surgical Treatment for Epilepsy
- Vagus-nerve implantation surgery
- Wada
Epilepsy in News
Understanding the Unique Challenges Women with Epilepsy Face
More than one million women in America of childbearing age have epilepsy. There’s growing recognition that the standard treatment approach for Epilepsy needs to be tailored to women’s needs.
Expert Epilepsy Treatment and Care with State-of-the-Art Technology
Robotic neurosurgery provides a completely new direction in management of complex epilepsy care and offers benefits for patients living with epilepsy.
Request an Appointment
To schedule an appointment, please call 312.355.0510.
To request admission to the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, please call 312.996.3865.
Referring Physicians
To transfer a patient to UI Health, please click here
UI Health Epilepsy
Outpatient Care Center, Suite 4E
1801 W. Taylor St.
Chicago, IL 60612
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