Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
In Kentucky and Southern Indiana alone, over 90,000 people have epilepsy. Due to the high number, there is a vital need for a comprehensive epilepsy team, making the University Hospital Epilepsy Center a critical resource for the community and state.
It is the only Level IV Epilepsy Center in the region and one of only two in the state. A Level IV Epilepsy Center has the ability to do everything from diagnosing to performing brain surgery when necessary. By collaborating with the University of Louisville Department of Neurology, the epilepsy nurses and physicians at University Hospital provide comprehensive epilepsy treatment.
Epilepsy is the third most common neurological disorder in the United States after Alzheimer's disease and stroke. It is equal in prevalence to cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease combined.
Of the 2.7 million Americans diagnosed with a seizure disorder, between 30 and 40 percent have seizures that are not well controlled by medication. Others have their epilepsy untreated or misdiagnosed.
The Epilepsy Center at University Hospital has a state-of-the-art monitoring unit and dedicated nurses. These nurses specialize in treating epilepsy and are the only type of patients they see. With so much emphasis on caring for epileptic patients, our team has the experience needed to effecitvely and accurately provide epilepsy services.
Epilepsy Specialists Join University Hospital Team
To help in caring for epileptic patients, the Epilepsy Center has added two new medical directors, both of which have had specialized training in epilepsy. Dr. Christopher Shafer and Dr. Satish Rao are a few of only a handful of physicians in the region who have specialized epilepsy training.
Drs. Shafer and Rao manage the care of the patients on the unit, consult with other physicians who have patients experiencing seizures and manage the long-term care of epileptic patients. In the event that an epileptic patient needs brain surgery, Drs. Shafer and Rao work with the University Hospital Neurosurgeons by completing pre-surgical evaluations.
About Epilepsy
Epilepsy is the occurrence of more than one unprovoked seizure. The seizures cause a disturbance in behavior and affects the brain's ability to function optimally. There are still unknowns about the disease, but it is known that seizures can be controlled by medications. To learn more about seizure symptoms and medications, see the "About Epilepsy" section.
Please contact us online or at 502-562-4169 for more information or to make an appointment for a monitoring session.