Brain surgery for seizures has been an option for many people, especially those with focal epilepsy, where seizures start in one specific area of the brain. But, people with epilepsy average 19 years of living with seizures before surgery is even considered by their doctor.

 

Numerous studies show that stopping seizures sooner can reduce other epilepsy related complications, such as risk of physical injury during a seizure, developmental delays, poor memory, anxiety and depression, and the risk of SUDEP - Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.

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Many people with epilepsy, for whom surgery is an option, worry about both the short and long term effects of surgery: Will their seizures stop? Will it cause other issues? Will it improve their quality of life overall? 

 

Join us for our inaugural Brain Surgery Conference, taking place in person at Empowering Epilepsy's Headquarters. Hear from some of the top epilepsy specialists from Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center, as they navigate you through the path of determining whether a person with epilepsy could become a surgical candidate, and what are the chances of that surgery working?

 

If you or a loved one is considering epilepsy surgery, or your doctor has suggested surgery as an option, you should definitely join to make a more informed decision as to whether surgery will be a beneficial option for you. Just know that every epilepsy surgery case is different.

 

Doors open at 8:00 AM for Registration and a Continental Breakfast. 

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Schedule:

8:00 - 8:30: Registration and Continental Breakfast

 8:30 - 8:45: Welcome and Intro: Leigh Goldie, M.Ed.

 8:50 - 9:10: Epilepsy Surgery - Imad Najm, MD
9:15 - 9:35: Overview of Testing - Andreas Alexopoulos, MD 

 9:40 - 10:00: Panel Discussion with Dr. Najm and Dr. Alexopoulos

10:00 - 10:15: Break, Snack and Booth Visit

10:15 - 10:35: Patient Management Conference - Imad Najm, MD

10:40 - 11:00: NeuroPsychological Testing - Ana Arenivas, PhD

11:05 - 11:25: Epilepsy Surgery - Williaml Bingaman, MD

11:30 - 12:00  SEEG vs. Subdural Grids - Demitre Serletis, MD

12:00 - 12:30 Panel Discussion

12:30 - 1:30: Lunch

 1:30 - 2:30: Will Epilepsy Surgery Work - Panel Discussion

• Neurologist - Jessica Fesler, MD

• NeuroPsychologist - Kayla Arrotta, PhD

• Psychiatrist - Tatiana Falcone, PhD

• Bioethicist - Lauren Sankary, JD, MA

 2:35 - 2:55: The After Effects of Surgery

 3:00 - 3:30: Panel Discussion

 3:30 - 3:50: Panel Discussion of Brain Surgery Survivors

 3:50 - 4:00: Closing Remarks

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