Epilepsy

The Epilepsy speciality at SilverOak Health provides comprehensive assessment and management for people with epilepsy across all age groups, from first seizure evaluation to the management of complex drug-resistant epilepsy. Our epileptologists are subspecialty-trained neurologists with particular expertise in epilepsy classification, anti-epileptic drug therapy, and the presurgical evaluation pathway that identifies surgical candidates among patients whose seizures are not controlled by medication.

Diagnostic services include routine and prolonged ambulatory EEG, video-EEG monitoring with scalp and — where indicated — intracranial electrodes, high-resolution epilepsy-protocol MRI, functional MRI for language and memory lateralisation, FDG-PET and SPECT imaging, and comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. These investigations are integrated within our Level 4 epilepsy monitoring unit to provide the highest quality presurgical evaluation available.

Anti-epileptic drug management is guided by seizure type and syndrome classification, pharmacogenetic testing where relevant, and careful monitoring of efficacy and tolerability. For women of childbearing age, valproate avoidance and pre-pregnancy planning are prioritised given teratogenic risks. When drug treatment fails, we offer the full range of surgical options — resective surgery, laser ablation, vagal nerve stimulation, and responsive neurostimulation — within our established surgical programme. Our epilepsy specialist nurses provide 24-hour seizure advice, SUDEP counselling, driving licence guidance, and ongoing medication support, significantly reducing unplanned hospital attendances.