Dayton, OHIO (PRWEB) April 14, 2014
Dayton Childrens Hospital neurology division earned designation by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers as a Level 3 center for the treatment of complex pediatric epilepsy. Receiving the designation certifies that Dayton Childrens has the professional expertise and facilities to provide the highest level medical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy.
Dayton Childrens is one of only 160 designated epilepsy centers in the United States.
"We are very proud of this designation, shares Gogi Kumar, MD, medical director for neurology. Parents want to know that their child is receiving the absolute best quality when looking for treatment options, explains Gogi Kumar, MD, medical director for neurology. This designation is proof that we have the absolute best quality of epilepsy treatment and care in our region."
Epilepsy centers provide a team approach to the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy with the overall goal to control and reduce the frequency of seizures for patients.
Epilepsy is a disease of the central nervous system, affecting 2.5 million Americans, in which electrical signals of the brain misfire. These disruptions cause temporary communication problems between nerve cells, leading to seizures. Each year, Dayton Childrens cares for more than 2,500 epilepsy patients.
Level 3 epilepsy centers must meet the following guidelines to receive designation: Electroencephalography (EEG) services Epilepsy surgery for seizures caused by tumors as well as vagal nerve stimulator implantation Neuroimaging Neuropsychological and psychological services Pharmacological expertise Nursing support (specific to epilepsy) Rehabilitation (in and outpatient) Access to expertise in multiple fields (neurosurgery, psychiatry, internal medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, obstetrics/gynecology)
Dayton Childrens neurology department has six pediatric neurologists, three of whom are epileptologists; Gogi Kumar, MD; Haidar Kabbani, MD; and PA Noorani, MD. These physicians utilize advanced testing capabilities to diagnose and treat epilepsy patients. The EEG laboratory at Dayton Children's Hospital provides advanced neuro-diagnostic testing and has a well-equipped epilepsy monitoring unit.
The department of neurology offers epilepsy treatment options including medication management, a ketogenic diet program and vagus nerve stimulator implantation in collaboration with Dayton Childrens department of pediatric neurosurgery.
About the National Association of Epilepsy Centers
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Dayton Childrens Pediatric Neurology Team Nationally Designated as a Level 3 Epilepsy Center