Given the high percentage of drug-resistant epilepsy among patients with epilepsy and the possibility of further complications in these patients, special attention and careful examination of them is considered essential and vital in order to control seizures. These patients are resistant to drug treatment and the use of other treatment methods is necessary for them to control seizures.
The most important diagnostic method used today for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy worldwide is Long-term video-EEG monitoring (LTM). LTM or long-term monitoring with video and EEG is a method in which the location of the epileptic focus is determined by recording the patients' EEG for several days along with video recording of seizure attacks. By determining the patient's epileptic focus and surgically removing the lesion causing seizures, epilepsy control becomes possible in a completely effective way, so that in many cases, epilepsy surgery leads to complete recovery of patients, discontinuation of antiepileptic drug treatment, reduction of complications due to long-term use of drugs, reduction of risks due to repeated seizure attacks and ultimately improvement of the patients' quality of life.
In recent years, despite the availability of epilepsy surgery in Iran, due to the lack of LTM facilities in the province, patients with drug-resistant epilepsy were forced to travel to other cities such as Tehran and Isfahan to undergo LTM after a long period of time or waiting, and suffered many hardships. In 2019, Shafa Hospital established an epilepsy monitoring unit for the first time in Mazandaran province and neighboring provinces to perform LTM and epilepsy surgery, so that patients with epilepsy and their families can benefit from the latest diagnostic and therapeutic facilities in the world and reduce their pain and hardships.
Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, Shafa Hospital
In the epilepsy monitoring unit of Shafa Hospital, patients are hospitalized for several days under the supervision of a neurologist (epilepsy fellowship) and experienced nursing staff. During this period, permanent electroencephalography and seizure recording are performed on them, and at the end of the period, patients are discharged with drug treatment. After reviewing the findings of the patients around the clock during hospitalization, the medical team determines the epileptic focus, and then a commission with the presence of a neurologist, neurosurgeon, psychiatrist, psychologist, radiologist, and nuclear medicine specialist makes a decision about the epilepsy surgery of the patients in the presence of the patient and his family.
We hope to take a step towards serving patients with epilepsy and their families by providing the necessary facilities for the latest diagnostic and therapeutic methods.
