Elevate your epilepsy care
Seizure disorders can affect people of all ages—disrupting daily life with seizures, fatigue and uncertainty. While often beginning in childhood, they can also develop later in life due to stroke, dementia or other conditions. At Holy Cross Health, our specialists provide expert diagnosis, advanced treatment and compassionate care to help manage epilepsy and support a safe, independent and fulfilling life.
Our Epilepsy Center provides some of the region’s most advanced services, led by fellowship-trained epileptologists. With a dedicated Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and surgical options, we offer precise diagnosis and the potential for better seizure control—or even a cure.
Treatment options
Care for your unique needs
Every care plan is personalized to your health needs, with one shared goal: to control seizures and support a full and independent life. Your treatment may include:
- Medication management: the most common way to control seizures.
- Surgery: for patients whose seizures do not improve with medications. Thermal laser ablation (Visualase™) – an MRI-guided, minimally invasive procedure using a laser to target seizure-causing tissue in the brain. Holy Cross was the first in the D.C. area to offer this advanced treatment for adults.
- Temporal lobectomy: surgery to remove the area of the brain that produces seizures.
- Split-brain surgery (corpus callosotomy): a surgical procedure that severs part or all of the corpus callosum, a thick band of nerve fibers connecting the two hemispheres of the brain.
- Neuromodulation therapies: advanced devices that send electrical signals to the brain to reduce seizures.
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS): implanted electrodes in the brain receive electrical impulses to regulate abnormal activity.
- Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS): a small device placed in the chest that stimulates the vagus nerve.
- Lifestyle guidance and education: to help patients and caregivers manage epilepsy.
- Ketogenic diet: a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that may help reduce seizures in some patients who do not respond to other treatments. Epileptologists and dietitians closely monitor patients to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Epilepsy monitoring unit
Precise evaluation. personalized treatment.
The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) at Holy Cross Hospital is a specialized inpatient program dedicated to careful evaluation of patients with seizure disorders. Utilizing advanced technology and offering around-the-clock care, our expert team can precisely identify seizure activity in the brain and develop the most effective, personalized treatment plan for each patient.
Our EMU stands out for several key reasons:
- Expert team: led by an epileptologist (a neurologist with advanced epilepsy training), supported by nurses and technicians experienced in seizure care.
- Advanced testing: includes continuous video EEG monitoring, MRI, PET scans and other specialized tests to accurately map brain activity.
- Personalized care: offers attentive, holistic care with 24/7 monitoring of brain activity during your hospital stay, which typically lasts several days based on your testing needs. Treatment is carefully tailored to test results.
- Private rooms: comfortable rooms equipped with bathrooms, cable TV and space for family members to stay and provide support throughout your care.
If you are scheduled for an inpatient stay in our Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, a little preparation can help make your experience more comfortable. Here are a few helpful tips:
- Wear and bring comfortable, loose-fitting clothes or a hospital gown.
- Bring all of your medications. The hospital pharmacy will manage them during your stay.
- Pack items like books, games or a laptop to help pass the time.
- A family member is encouraged to stay with you. Visiting hours are open 24/7.