A young woman getting ready in the bathroom

Epilepsy Treatments

The Complete Array of Epilepsy Treatments

At Emory Epilepsy Center, our goal is for you to have the best possible quality of life.

We’ve been at the forefront of research trials for new epilepsy medications. We’ve also helped advance innovative surgeries and other novel epilepsy treatment approaches. And we’re one of the region’s only centers qualified to provide seizure treatments to patients who need special attention, including:

  • Older adults who may have concerns about aging or drug interactions
  • People with learning or behavioral challenges who are in school
  • Pregnant women and those who hope to become pregnant
  • Those who are critically ill
  • Patients whose seizures have not been controlled after taking two or more medications
Find an Emory Provider
woman working on the computer
Clinical Trials
Emory Healthcare helps develop new epilepsy treatments through clinical trials. If a trial may be right for you, your doctor will let you know.

Nonsurgical Epilepsy Treatments

Medication is often the first-line epilepsy treatment. About 70% of people get complete seizure control with anti-seizure medications.

Many medications are available. Our experts work with you to find the treatment that gives you the best seizure control with the fewest side effects.

Surgical Epilepsy Treatments

Medication doesn’t control epilepsy in everyone. If you’ve tried at least two anti-seizure medications but haven’t gotten good results, we may recommend surgery. Recommendations are provided on an individual basis for each patient based on our multidisciplinary epilepsy surgery conference recommendations, which include neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, radiologists and other neurological experts.


For patients with hard-to-locate seizures, we use stereoelectroencephalography (sEEG) to identify the seizure onset zone. Our highly skilled and experienced neurosurgeons get some of the best results in the field.


There are several surgical epilepsy treatment options. Some are minimally invasive. Others involve surgically implanting a device that helps with seizure control.

  • RNS involves implanting a battery-powered device in your skull. Electrodes we place in the part of the brain where your seizures start can detect early seizure activity. The electrodes deliver a small pulse of energy to prevent a seizure before it happens.

  • Deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment is like RNS, but the implanted device goes off occasionally to stimulate the brain and help prevent seizures from starting.

    DBS may be helpful for some of the most serious and debilitating epilepsy cases. Emory was among the first programs in the U.S. to offer this groundbreaking epilepsy treatment.

  • In this procedure, doctors implant a device like a heart pacemaker in your left chest near your neck. It’s attached to a lead (wire) that connects to the vagus nerve in your neck. The vagus nerve contains fibers connected to certain parts of your brain. The device prevents seizures, and in some cases can treat ones that have started, by detecting your heart rate.
  • Stereotactic laser ablation (SLA) is a technique that allows surgeons to monitor temperature and locate seizure onset zones which they can remove with precision.
  • Traditional surgery involves removing an area of the brain where seizures begin. We do several tests to make sure we avoid injuries to parts of the brain that support important functions, like language and memory. A majority of those with temporal lobe epilepsy—the most common type—gain complete seizure control with surgery.
Psychological and Rehabilitative Services

We offer several programs and services to help you with your epilepsy or related conditions.

  • Some people have spells that look like epilepsy but aren’t due to problems with their brain’s electrical activity. Instead, the spells are related to psychological stress. We have trained therapists to help identify the cause of these spells and prevent them in the future.

  • Sometimes epilepsy causes problems with memory, attention and the ability to reason. Cognitive rehab helps you learn to compensate for these issues.
  • These reviews help us identify the parts of the brain that cause your seizures. They can also help detect decreases in memory, attention, problem-solving and other mental abilities linked to epilepsy or epilepsy treatments.
  • We offer tests to help you understand and lower the risks of certain treatments.
  • Cortical mapping maps your brain function before surgery. An epilepsy doctor and neuropsychologist conduct this procedure. It may help doctors prevent permanent brain damage.
  • A Wada test helps determine the risk to memory and language function if you’re a candidate for surgery.
Make an Appointment
Schedule Online
 
Neurology: 404-778-3444
 
Neurosurgery: 404-778-5770
 
View our call center hours
Please visit our privacy policy for more information.
stethoscope_arrow

Refer a Patient to Emory Neurology & Neurosurgery

Our team is dedicated to serving you and your patients.

To make a referral or discuss a neurology patient, please call 404-778-3444.

For our neurosurgery team, please call 404-778-5770.

Neurology & Neurosurgery

Epilepsy

Epilepsy occurs when there’s a problem with electrical signals in the brain. The problem can lead to repeated seizures.

Find an Emory Doctor

Emory Healthcare doctors provide specialized treatment and research the latest advancements.

Explore our Network

To expand your options, explore our network of providers throughout Atlanta and the surrounding counties.
network_intelligence

Make an Appointment with Emory Neurology & Neurosurgery

Create a MyChart account to schedule online.

For the neurology department, call 404-778-3444.

For the neurosurgery department, call 404-778-5770.

network_intelligence

Make an Appointment with Emory Neurology & Neurosurgery

Create a MyChart account to schedule online.

For the neurology department, call 404-778-3444.

For the neurosurgery department, call 404-778-5770.