Children's Hospital of Orange County

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Comprehensive Epilepsy Program

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Neurology Referrals
Physicians can refer patients to CHOC through our eCeptionist Referral Portal.

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At CHOC, we understand the challenges families face when a child experiences seizures. Our Comprehensive Epilepsy Program is a national leader in pediatric epilepsy care, offering cutting-edge diagnostics, innovative medical approaches and advanced surgical interventions from the nation’s foremost epilepsy experts.

We were the first children’s hospital in California to be named a Level 4 epilepsy center by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC), and we are the only pediatric facility in Orange County with this distinction. That means we have the professional expertise and facilities to provide the highest-level medical and surgical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy.

A Multidisciplinary Team

Our pediatric epileptologists are more qualified to treat seizures than anyone else in Orange County, with board certification in both child neurology and clinical neurophysiology and additional training in epilepsy.

Our dedicated team is here to coordinate care with families through every stage of care, from diagnosing seizures to finding the right medication or treatment, and managing the condition over time. At every clinic visit, families have access to a multidisciplinary team including:

  • Pediatric epileptologists who are board certified in child neurology and clinical neurophysiology
  • Nurse practitioners to help manage a child’s care
  • Pharmacists, who work directly with patients and families to discuss anti-epileptic medications and potential side effects, monitor dosages and effectiveness of medications, and assist with orphan drug procurement and clinical drug trials
  • Neurosurgeons, who perform surgery and consult with families before and after a procedure
  • Registered dietitians, who assist families in adapting to the ketogenic diet
  • Neuropsychologists, who conduct cognitive testing with patients and work with schools to modify a child’s academic programs; and
  • Social workers, who help families with financial and insurance concerns.

Our Approach to Seizure Management

Seizures and epilepsy affect children at different ages and in different ways. For some, it will be a temporary problem, easily controlled with medication and outgrown within years. For others, it may be an ongoing challenge that affects many areas of life. No matter a patient’s epilepsy type or stage of treatment, we offer the expert care and support that families need.

The CHOC Comprehensive Epilepsy Program is organized so that patients and families have easy access to our services at every stage of the process, from the first seizure through diagnosis and management, until it’s time to transition a patient into adult care. A pediatric-trained neuroscience nurse coordinator serves as an advocate for patients and their families throughout their epilepsy treatment by facilitating appointments, coordinating care between inpatient and outpatient areas, and assisting with discharge planning.

To schedule an appointment with the CHOC Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, please call (888) 770-2462 and select “specialty care clinics.” Medical records and authorization to release information from the referring physician will be required prior to a new patient appointment.

Download our New Patient Packet: English | Spanish

The CHOC Difference

  • CHOC has the only Level 4 pediatric epilepsy center in Orange County, accredited by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers. Level 4 is the highest rating available. What is a Level 4 epilepsy center?
  • We have a team of seven pediatric epileptologists with double board certification in both child neurology and clinical neurophysiology, and additional training in epilepsy; an epilepsy surgeon who is fellowship trained in functional restorative neurosurgery; and three advanced practice providers working with our epilepsy physicians. The team is more qualified to treat seizures in children than anyone else in Orange County.
  • We offer two dedicated Epilepsy Monitoring Units in Orange and Mission Viejo, monitoring more than 1,200 patients yearly. These inpatient units allow us to monitor seizures as they happen, in order to make a plan of care.
  • Our Neurodiagnostics Laboratory is equipped with the latest technology to diagnose and treat epilepsy and has a five-year accreditation – the highest possible – by the Laboratory Accreditation Board of the American Board of Registered Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists (ABRET). This accreditation recognizes that our lab has met strict standards and is recognized as a place where you and your family can have confidence that you are receiving quality diagnostics.
  • Our program gives patients and families access to the full spectrum of treatment options, from medication to surgery, as well as the ketogenic diet and participation in clinical trials and research to find new, more effective treatments. Our comprehensive surgical capabilities are supported by advanced neuro navigation and include resections, corpus callosotomy, hemispherectomy and minimally invasive surgery options including vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), deep brain stimulation (DBS), laser interstitial thermal therapy (LiTT) and responsive neurostimulation (RNS).
  • We treat the complete child. Beyond managing seizures, we also help families deal with nutrition, mental health, emotional needs, school assistance, transitioning to adulthood and more.
  • The CHOC Comprehensive Epilepsy Program is part of the CHOC Neuroscience Institute, which is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as among the best in the country for neurology and neurosurgery.

Specialized Care for Every Need

Specialized services within our program are offered to meet the unique needs of each patient.

New Seizure Onset Clinic

The first time a child experiences a seizure is scary and stressful, leaving parents wondering where to start. Our New Seizure Onset Clinic is designed to see children within 48 to 72 hours after authorization from their pediatrician. Our expertise in the latest diagnostic testing will put your family on the path to answers, and our experience means only the most necessary tests will be ordered. Testing at this stage may include an EEG, MRI, scan of the brain, blood work and occasionally, a lumbar puncture.

Intractable Epilepsy Clinic

For patients whose epilepsy cannot be controlled by medication, our Intractable Epilepsy Clinic offers customized treatment planning for other options. We’ll help your family choose the right surgical procedure, device or clinical trial. CHOC is also a Dravet Syndrome Center of Excellence. Individuals with Dravet syndrome are at risk for serious complications that must be properly treated and managed by a team experienced with this rare form of intractable epilepsy.

Two Epilepsy Monitoring Units

By monitoring seizures as they happen, our pediatric epileptologists can gather valuable information that will help determine where a child’s seizures originate and how they spread in the brain. We offer two state-of-the-art Epilepsy Monitoring Units (EMU). The EMU at CHOC Hospital in Orange includes eight private rooms, as well as five portable monitoring systems that can be used in any area of the hospital. Our EMU at CHOC at Mission Hospital offers four private inpatient rooms. Learn more about long-term video EEG monitoring in our Epilepsy Monitoring Units.

Epilepsy Surgery

Surgery is not a last resort. We take a proactive stance and consider surgery early in treatment if a child has failed at least two medications. Surgery can result in an improvement in seizure control, quality of life and preventing permanent damage to the brain. We perform a host of procedures, including temporal lobectomies and extratemporal resections, as well as surgery for patients who have had unsuccessful epilepsy surgery elsewhere. Learn more about epilepsy surgery at CHOC.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Some children with seizures that cannot be controlled with medication may find vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) helpful. VNS uses a pacemaker-like device to send regular, mild pulses of electrical energy to the brain via the vagus nerve. Learn more about vagus nerve stimulation.

Ketogenic Diet Clinic

Some epilepsy patients benefit from the ketogenic diet, a special high-fat, low-carbohydrate known to minimize seizures in some children. At our inpatient Ketogenic Diet Clinic, registered dietitians will regulate a child’s diet closely and teach families how to continue the diet at home. Learn more about our Ketogenic Diet Clinic.

Tuberous Sclerosis Clinic

Through a designation by the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, this specialized clinic treats children with tuberous sclerosis, a rare disorder that can cause epilepsy as well as growths inside the brain, heart, kidney and retinal area of the eye. Through the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, we also have a TSC Clinical Ambassador, a parent volunteer who helps families and children deal with the emotional challenges of the disorder. Learn more about tuberous sclerosis.

Neuropsychological Testing and School Assistance

We know one of the most important aspects of a child’s life is school, which can be disrupted or changed for children with epilepsy. Our neuropsychologists conduct thorough testing with a child, communicate with his or her teachers and principals, and help develop special programs to support their academic activities. Learn more about our Neuropsychology Program.

Transition Services

Transitioning from childhood to adulthood often brings about challenges for a patient with epilepsy. Our transition services help patients at this stage navigate issues such as independent living, conservatorship and career planning.

Patient Stories