Services We Offer

At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, we offer a range of advanced surgical treatments to help children with epilepsy gain better seizure control and improve their quality of life. From minimally invasive options like laser ablation and responsive neurostimulation (RNS) to more extensive procedures such as hemispherotomy and corpus callosotomy, each treatment is carefully tailored to meet the unique needs of every patient. Explore the procedures below to learn how our expert epilepsy team evaluates, recommends and performs these surgeries to support your child’s long-term health and development.

Illustration of the corpus callosum, which connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

Corpus Callosotomy

Corpus callosotomy is a type of surgery that helps decrease the number and severity of seizures. It has been used to treat drop seizures, where a child may fall down during a seizure. More recently, doctors also use this surgery to treat other seizure types, such as generalized tonic or tonic-clonic seizures or epileptic spasms.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) uses a small, implanted device to send electrical signals to targeted areas of the brain, helping to reduce seizures.

Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a medical treatment that can help reduce the severity and frequency of seizures in children with epilepsy. It involves placing small wires, called electrodes, into specific areas deep inside the brain. These electrodes are connected to a small device that controls the electrical signals sent to the parts of the brain where seizures spread.

Illustration depicting the two halves (hemispheres) of the brain.

Hemispherotomy and Hemispherectomy

Hemispherotomy and hemispherectomy are surgeries that help treat severe epilepsy in children. These surgeries either disconnect or remove one side of the brain (called a hemisphere) to stop seizures that start on one side and spread to the other.

Laser ablation surgery uses a focused laser to precisely target and remove abnormal brain tissue, off ering a minimally invasive treatment option.

Laser Ablation

Laser ablation, also known as laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT), is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to reduce seizures in children with epilepsy. It works by using a laser, guided by MRI, to precisely target and treat the small areas of the brain that are causing seizures.

Responsive neurostimulation (RNS) uses a small device placed in the skull with wires that go to the brain. It watches for seizure activity and sends small pulses to help stop seizures before they start.

Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS)

Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) is a treatment for epilepsy that involves surgery where a small device, called a neurostimulator, is placed in a child’s skull. The device continuously monitors brain activity and detects patterns that could lead to a seizure. When it identifies this activity, the neurostimulator sends electrical pulses to the brain to interrupt the seizure before it starts. 

The patient’s head is secured with a stereotactic frame and tiny openings are made in the skull. Then small electrode wires are placed in the areas where it appears seizures appear.

Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG)

Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) is a test used to find areas where seizures begin in the brain. During this test, electrodes are placed deep into the brain through small holes made into the skull. After placing the electrodes, the patient will have EEG monitoring with video recording to see their brain activity before, during, and after seizures.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) uses a small, implanted device to send regular electrical signals to the vagus nerve in the neck, helping to reduce seizures.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a treatment for epilepsy that helps reduce the frequency and severity of seizures. A small device, is placed under the skin in the chest and connected to the vagus nerve in the neck with a thin wire. The device sends mild electrical pulses to the nerve, which communicates with the brain to help control seizures.