ABC Medical Center has a specialized epilepsy center, as it not only provides routine care to patients with seizures or epilepsy but also specializes in providing comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services to patients with uncontrolled seizures and complies with the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) guidelines.
There are 4 levels of care in epilepsy:
- Level 1: Assessment in an emergency room or primary care physician’s office.
- Level 2: Consultation with a general neurologist or possibly a specialized center.
- Level 3 and 4: If seizures persist and cannot be fully controlled after 1 year of treatment, they should go to a level 3 and 4 epilepsy center for a multidisciplinary and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment.
Seizure patients are best cared for through cooperative relationships between primary care physicians, general neurologists, and specialized epilepsy centers.
ABC Medical Center has a level 4 epilepsy center as it meets the following elements:
- Collaborative multidisciplinary team, we have epilepsy specialists and the team typically includes neurosurgeons, neurologists, neuropsychologists, nurse practitioners, electroencephalography (EEG) technologists, and neuroradiologists, among others.
- Electrodiagnosis, we have the infrastructure and qualified electroencephalography (EEG) technologists for the diagnosis and management of hospitalized patients or outpatients with epilepsy.
- Complex cases, we have multidisciplinary committees for the evaluation of complex cases to offer the most advanced treatments based on medical evidence and continuous monitoring of the results.
- Safety protocols, we have specialized nurses trained to manage patients with epilepsy with emergency management protocols.
- Quality of care, we follow the recommendations for quality performance measures and practical guides from national and international sources.
- Patient education, direct patient participation and self-management of the epilepsy treatment plan are essential for good health and quality of life.
Implantation of intracranial electrodes
ABC Medical Center offers a complete evaluation for epilepsy surgery, including intracranial electrodes and different surgical procedures for epilepsy care.
We are proud to share the first case of stereo electroencephalography and radiofrequency ablation by Dr. Enrique de Font-Reaulx Rojas, eneurosurgery specialist at ABC Medical Center, the first performed in Mexico.
The implementation of intracranial electrodes was used for the diagnosis and treatment of the patient, which were placed within certain areas of the brain to identify the seizures’ cause. The patient had the electrodes for seven days in intensive care. Under security protocols, the medication had to be reduced by half, causing the crises and thus being able to record the electrical currents and find the affected area. The patient’s diagnosis was a congenital stroke and thanks to this procedure, the area that caused the seizures was identified and could be treated through the electrode without surgery through focal radiofrequency ablation. The result was successful since the patient did not show seizures again.
Our recognition and admiration for Dr. Enrique de Font-Reaulx Rojas, al Dr. Javier Terrazo Lluch and the more than 100 people involved in this success story.
At ABC Medical Center’s Neurology Center, we can provide you with specialized care. Contact us!
Fuentes:
Dr. Enrique de Font Reaulx Rojas, neurosurgery specialist at ABC Medical Center.
Essential services, personnel, and facilities in specialized epilepsy centers—Revised 2010 guidelines
