Children’s Hospital of Michigan has been recognized by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) as a Level 4 epilepsy center for 2019 and 2020, providing the highest-level medical and surgical diagnosis and treatment for pediatric patients with complex epilepsy.

“I am so proud of highly specialized pediatric care our physicians, nurses and care teams provide in regard to treatment of epilepsy at Children’s Hospital of Michigan,” said hospital Chief Executive Officer Luanne Thomas Ewald. “Our epilepsy center’s multidisciplinary approach helps ensure that our patients receive the highest level of quality care and we are extremely honored to receive this prestigious recognition.”

The program’s concentration on a comprehensive continuum of care model is achieved by combining services and expertise from pediatric specialists, including dedicated neurologists/epileptologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, epilepsy nurse coordinators, neuroradiologists, and EEG technologists.

“Being distinguished as a Level 4 epilepsy center that can manage complex surgeries tells families that Children’s Hospital of Michigan is the place to go for the highest quality of care for children and infants with epilepsy,” said Dr. Aimee Luat, pediatric epileptologist and co-director of Pediatric Epilepsy at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

This achievement underscores Children’s Hospital of Michigan’s focus on expanding epilepsy care for adolescents in Southeast Michigan. The youngest reported patient to undergo successful epilepsy surgery with a seizure-free and favorable neurological outcome was performed by pediatric neurologists at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. The 12-day old infant boy was born at term to a 26-year-old mother from Marysville, but developed status epilepticus immediately after birth.

“There are very few centers in the world where surgery of this type can be performed in children who are under 2-weeks age,” said Dr. Sandeep Sood, pediatric neurosurgeon and co-director of Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. The 7-hour surgical procedure was performed by Sood. At 18 months of age, the patient has not experienced any seizures after his surgery and his anti-seizure medications have been reduced from four to just one.

Level 4 epilepsy centers, according to the NAEC, provides the more complex forms of intensive neurodiagnostic monitoring, as well as more extensive medical, neuropsychological, and psychosocial treatment. Level 4 centers also offer a complete evaluation for epilepsy surgery, including intracranial electrodes and a broad range of surgical procedures for epilepsy.