Hadassah International

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Hadassah Medical Center to Open Epilepsy Center

28-Jan-2011

The Hadassah Medical Center will shortly open an Epilepsy Center to treat children and adults with this debilitating seizure disease, caused by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain.

Dr. Mony Benifla, a pediatric neurosurgeon and one of only two epileptic surgeons in Israel, will head up the Center, which is unique in Israel. “Treating children with epilepsy is different from treating adults,” explains Dr. Benifla, who trained in both pediatric neurosurgery and epilepsy at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. “Children,” he says, “have the advantage of still having a fontanel--the 'soft spot' on their heads.” Using a special ultrasound system that he places directly on the fontanel, Dr. Benifla can identify abnormal electrical activity and seek its source. As he expresses, “The fontanel and ultrasound allow me to see into the skull.” He then determines the relationship of these seizures to the functional areas of the brain with the goal of avoiding permanent damage.

While medications help about 70 percent of epilepsy patients, 30 percent must turn to surgery to achieve relief. The new Epilepsy Center’s multidisciplinary team will address all aspects of the condition--from initial diagnosis to the management of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, including surgery. The Center’s support team will attend to the psychological and social problems that accompany the condition, with special sensitivity to cultural issues.