Louisville’s Comprehensive Provider of Epilepsy and Seizure Treatment

With the highest designation as a Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Norton Neuroscience Institute is the epilepsy treatment destination for Louisville and Southern Indiana. Our board-certified and fellowship-trained epilepsy specialists are at the leading edge of seizure treatment.

Our specialists have the skill and sophisticated tools to pinpoint the cause of your seizures and the expertise to determine the most effective treatment. Some patients respond well to medication, and others can benefit from the latest minimally invasive surgery options.

Expertise to Relieve Your Seizures

The National Association of Epilepsy Centers has designated Norton Neuroscience Institute as a Level 4 Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. We received the highest-level accreditation because of our providers’ experience and expertise with complex diagnostic tools and ability to perform a broad range of epilepsy surgeries.

We bring together a multidisciplinary team of physicians with fellowship training in epilepsy neurology, epilepsy neurosurgery and epilepsy neuropsychology. They provide the highest level of medical and surgical treatment for patients with complex epilepsy.

In most cases, our providers can control seizures through medication and regular check-ins. Medication isn’t effective for about one-third of patients. For some, the side effects of medications are too severe.

Epilepsy surgery may be an option if two different medications fail to control your seizures or the side effects are life altering.

Before recommending surgery, we will perform extensive testing including video monitoring at the Norton Brownsboro Epilepsy Monitoring Unit. The clinical team will review results with you to determine whether we can identify the source of your seizures and whether we can operate without damaging key areas of the brain.

Our neurosurgeons use state-of-the-art brain mapping technology to locate the cause of your seizures. Your neurosurgeon and neuropsychologist will perform extensive tests to determine whether surgery would risk causing major problems with speaking, understanding or other abilities.

Resection of Seizure Focus

Using a combination of preoperative and intraoperative brain mapping, this procedure involves removing the area of the brain that is causing seizures. As the most common type of epilepsy surgery, people often experience complete seizure control.

Minimally Invasive Brain Surgery Means Tiny Incisions and Quicker Recovery

New advances in minimally invasive surgery at Norton Neuroscience Institute means patients have the opportunity to get precision surgery with fewer side effects, and a tiny incision means less discomfort, less risk of post-operative infection and a faster recovery.

ROSA Robotic System

Our neurosurgeons use ROSA — a new robotic technology — to map the safest route through the brain to address the source of your epilepsy or movement disorders. ROSA generates a three-dimensional map of your brain, so surgeons can see structures at any angle and any depth.

With the imagery in hand, surgeons use ROSA’s robotic arm to thread tiny tools through holes the width of spaghetti noodles to the source of your seizures.

This is a less invasive approach to removing part of the skull.

Laser Ablation

Our neurosurgeons also treat epilepsy seizures using laser-generated heat to precisely target and destroy abnormal brain tissue. Your neurosurgeon uses a real-time MRI to guide a tiny laser fiber through a tiny hole in the skull to the source of your seizures.

The real-time MRI displays thermal maps to ensure targeting of the troublesome tissue while preserving nearby healthy tissue.

NeuroPace RNS System

NeuroPace is the first and only device that continuously monitors and responds to brain activity. After surgical placement,  NeuroPace detects electrical patterns in the brain that could lead to a seizure.  Then, NeuroPace delivers pulses of stimulation to stop seizures before you are aware. The stimulation typically is undetectable.  We use NeuroPace for patients when surgery to remove the source of the seizures would risk causing major problems with speaking, understanding or other abilities.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Implanted under the skin near the collarbone, the vagus nerve stimulator produces weak electrical signals that travel along the vagus to the brain at regular intervals. These signals help prevent the electrical bursts in the brain that cause seizures.

A battery-powered device allows patients to send an extra signal from the vagus nerve stimulator if they feel a seizure coming on.  Vagus nerve stimulation is used for patients when we can’t find the area of the brain causing the seizures.

About Norton Neuroscience Institute

More patients from Louisville and Southern Indiana seek treatment from Norton Neuroscience Institute’s nationally recognized neurologists and neurosurgeons than any other provider in the area.

• We have more than 60 medical, surgical and research specialists dedicated to providing innovative care to those with brain, spine and nervous system conditions.
• We use advanced minimally invasive neurosurgery equipment that speeds your recovery and minimizes pain.
• Our multidisciplinary clinics offer easy access to specialists in oncology, cardiovascular, orthopedics, and behavioral health.
• Norton Healthcare has the largest network of accredited stroke centers in the area.
  • Norton Brownsboro Hospital’s designation as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Joint Commission and American Stroke Association represents the highest level of care.
  • The Joint Commission also certified Norton Audubon Hospital and Norton Hospital as Primary Stroke Centers and Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital as an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital.
• Norton Neuroscience Institute Resource Center navigators help educate patients and their families about new diagnoses, available treatments and managing their disease.
• We are nationally recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as a Top 100 neurosurgery and spine program.