Epilepsy treatment in Israel

Epilepsy is a disease of the central nervous system in which brain activity provokes epileptic seizures. An epileptic seizure is a temporary dysfunction of the brain at the cellular level. Pathology is manifested by bouts of unusual behavior, sometimes loss of consciousness. Epilepsy is characterized by sudden seizures, which requires constant monitoring and control. Treatment of epilepsy in Israel enables patients to undergo an accurate diagnosis of the disease and apply effective methods for correcting the condition and full recovery.

What happens to a person with epilepsy?

Of particular danger to the patient is that the epileptic seizure occurs suddenly. The person is in an unconscious state. He falls to the ground, tonic convulsions occur, the body and limbs are stretched, the head is thrown back.

Reflex epilepsy is characterized by seizures that are provoked by the same sensory or cognitive stimuli. They are triggers for the onset of a seizure.

The scope of studies for suspected epilepsy differs depending on the severity of the disease. Israeli doctors can rely in part on the data that the patient received in the hospital in his place of residence.

The International Antiepileptic League has approved the basic range of examinations that are necessary for people with suspected this disease. Diagnosis of epilepsy in Israel also includes these methods:

• primary neurological examination (check for reflexes, assessment of muscle tone, accuracy of movements);
• general and biochemical blood tests;
• electroencephalography of the brain;
• CT or MRI of the head on the latest generation devices;
• single-photon emission CT;
• MRI with contrast in FLAIR mode for the study of the white matter of the brain.

Neurological examination plays an important role in assessing the functioning of the central nervous system. To do this, the neurologist conducts a series of tests on the patient. This is one of the methods for detecting abnormalities in the work of the brain.

Why do Israeli doctors perform detailed brain scans?

Head scanning refers to the procedures of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. These tests can detect changes in the structure of the brain, such as swelling or bleeding. Improved scan options allow you to see changes in the development of the brain that lead to seizures.

It is important to know. After examining the results of the studies, the neurologist may find that the patient does not have epilepsy. A person may have a medical or psychological condition that causes seizure-like symptoms.

In this case, the doctor can refer the patient to another specialist and not prescribe unnecessary therapy. Therefore, contacting a qualified Israeli doctor excludes medical errors and inaccurate diagnoses.

Specialists of Israeli neurological centers use medical and surgical methods for the treatment of epilepsy. As a non-surgical treatment of epilepsy, modern antiepileptic drugs are used. These are special drugs that reduce the excitability of brain cells and help eliminate seizures. According to the American Epilepsy Foundation, such drugs do not remove the cause of the disease, but only allow you to control epileptic seizures.

An anticonvulsant medication is usually given if a person has had more than one seizure. However, medication can also be started if the person has only had one seizure. But other tests, such as an MRI or an EEG (checking the electrical activity of the brain), can indicate the risk of future attacks.

About 30 types of antiepileptic drugs with different effects are available in Israel. Each of them can be effective for a specific form of epilepsy. Thanks to such a variety of drugs, neurologists and epileptologists in Israel select the most effective medication for the patient.

Factors that may influence drug choice include:

• type of seizure (generalized and focal);
• type of epilepsy (this is a condition in which a person may have multiple seizures over time);
• risks of recurrence of seizures (this can be predicted by history, examination of the patient and test results);
• a person’s lifestyle (for example, driving a car, living alone, doing mental or physical work, caring for young children);
• side effects from previously prescribed medications.

What are the most common side effects of antiepileptic drugs?

Each medication that is used for epilepsy has its own indications. Some medicines are contraindicated in children under 16 years of age. But even if the patient falls into the category for which the drug is intended, this does not exclude the occurrence of side effects.

Most often, patients taking anticonvulsant drugs have the following complaints:

• drowsiness or vice versa – sleep disturbances in some cases;
• nausea;
• loss of appetite;
• blurred vision;
• imbalance;
• emotional arousal.

Often, children have attacks of aggression and overexcitation. With prolonged use of medications, swelling throughout the body may increase.

In more rare cases, antiepileptic drugs cause serious organ dysfunction. Liver or bone marrow failure may occur. With such treatment, constant monitoring by doctors is necessary to exclude a lethal outcome.

Surgery involves an operation on the part of the brain that provokes severe seizures of epilepsy. To do this, Israel uses modern methods, including minimally invasive ones.

According to the American Epilepsy Foundation, surgery for the disease is effective in 90% of cases. This means that patients with severe epilepsy in 9 cases out of 10 completely get rid of seizures and other unpleasant symptoms of the disease.

Types of surgical treatment of epilepsy in Israel:

1. Installation of a neurostimulator. This may be a DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) procedure or vagus nerve stimulation. Such operations are carried out to influence neurons in order to control epileptic seizures.
2. Partial lobectomy. Neurosurgeons perform resection of the part of the brain that is the focus of epileptic seizures. This method of surgery is used if the focus is located in an area that is not associated with vital neurological functions.
3. Multiple subpial transections. The surgeon makes small incisions around the pathological focus. This isolates the area of the brain in which abnormal neuronal activity occurs. The operation is indicated in cases where it is impossible to remove the area located in the vital parts of the brain without risks.
4. Removal of the cerebral hemisphere. This operation is also called a hemispherectomy. The procedure is carried out to resect part or the whole hemisphere of the brain with extensive distribution of the focus of epilepsy. It is used in extreme cases when other methods of treatment have not helped.

All surgical procedures are carried out under the strict supervision of a team of doctors. Israeli neurosurgeons use modern surgical navigation systems to reduce operational risks. Thus, healthy brain tissues remain unaffected, and pathological foci are completely removed.

In the practice of world surgery, resections of a part of the brain are used to treat epilepsy. Israeli doctors perform the following types of resections:

• focal – remove a single epileptic focus;
• temporal lobe;
• frontal lobe;
• occipital lobe;
• parietal lobe.

According to a study by the American Epilepsy Foundation, in 70-80% of cases, patients completely get rid of seizures. In other cases, convulsions and seizures are reduced by 85% after such operations.

In some clinics in Israel, a laser surgery procedure for epilepsy is available. The doctor inserts a probe with a thermal laser into the epileptic focus through a small puncture in the skull. Under the influence of high temperatures, the pathological area is destroyed. This low-traumatic operation is indicated for patients whose epilepsy is caused by a brain tumor.

In severe generalized epilepsy with atonic seizures, doctors perform a callosotomy. During the operation, the neurosurgeon cuts the corpus callosum in the brain so that the epileptic focus does not spread to both hemispheres. Such an intervention is effective if the patient’s condition is aggravated by falls as a result of a decrease in muscle tone.

How can a patient be helped if the epileptic focus is located in an area of the brain that cannot be safely removed?

In some patients, the pathological focus may be located in areas of the brain that are responsible for the vital functions of the body. Removal of such parts of the body is impossible without the risk of complete disability. In such cases, doctors resort to transection. During the operation, the doctor makes several small incisions around the epileptic focus. Thus, the integrity of the fibers that spread seizures to other parts of the brain is violated.

Israeli neurologists use a special diet in the complex therapy of epilepsy.

Diet therapy is a medical approach to help control seizures, usually in combination with anticonvulsant medications.

The classic high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet is prescribed and monitored by a physician and nutritionist. Such a diet, in some cases, can help reduce the frequency of seizures in patients. It is most often effective for refractory seizures.

Doctors sometimes prescribe a modified Atkins diet. It includes some components similar to the traditional ketogenic diet.

Foreign patients most often come to Israel to clarify the diagnosis, correct therapy and surgical treatment of epilepsy. Not all adult patients have the opportunity to undergo high-quality examinations at their place of residence. Doctors in the CIS countries and Central Asia are more likely to deal with childhood epilepsy, although the disease can occur at any age.

Not only neurologists, but also epileptologists work with patients in Israel. These are doctors of narrow specialization who have sufficient experience in the treatment of this particular disease. Before starting to practice, Israeli specialists undergo long-term training and internships in leading neurological clinics in the world. On average, the whole process takes 13-14 years.

Treatment of epilepsy in adults in Israel includes all stages – from diagnosis to the choice of therapy. In addition to medical and surgical treatment, innovative ionizing radiation therapy is available in Israeli clinics. Therefore, the doctors of clinics in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem achieve the best results in the treatment of pathology.

What can be non-surgical treatment of epilepsy in adults in Israel?

Approximately 30% of localized focal epilepsy remains refractory to medical treatment. Even the availability of a wide range of antiepileptic drugs currently available in foreign clinics does not solve the problem.

The first Gamma Knife treatment for temporal lobe epilepsy was carried out in 1993 in Marseille. The first patient had an immediate cessation of seizures without side effects. This medical achievement led to the subsequent use of the Gamma Knife for the treatment of epilepsy in leading clinics in Israel and in several other countries.

The essence of the method: during the procedure, the doctor directs ionizing radiation to the epileptogenic area, which caused seizures. The rays destroy the pathological focus and the seizures disappear. Irradiation with a Gamma Knife acts with an accuracy of 0.2 mm, so it does not damage healthy brain tissue.

The advantage of radiosurgery: this procedure does not require incisions and anesthesia for the patient. The next day after therapy, the person returns to normal life.

Foreign patients prefer the treatment of childhood epilepsy in Israel for several reasons. One of them is the availability of a variety of drugs that relieve seizures. For example, in the countries of Central Asia, the range of drugs is not so wide. Therefore, Israeli epileptologists can prescribe a more suitable and safe remedy for the child, which will reduce the frequency of seizures or completely eliminate them.

During drug therapy, it is important to monitor the dynamics of changes in the brain. Devices for monitoring and general diagnostics, which are used in the treatment of childhood epilepsy in Israel, provide more accurate information. If drugs are ineffective, doctors use other methods.

Modern medical technologies help to avoid negative consequences during the treatment of epilepsy in children. In Israel, special devices provide monitoring of areas of the brain that are responsible for important functions such as speech, memory, and coordination of movements.

For surgical treatment of epilepsy in children, doctors do not always perform an open operation. An Israeli neurosurgeon can perform an intervention through a small incision in the skull bones up to 5 cm. The patient’s recovery takes 2-3 times less time compared to an open operation.

What is the most effective operation for pediatric epilepsy?

If epilepsy occurs against the background of unilateral brain damage, then doctors perform a hemispherectomy. Such surgical treatment is usually prescribed for children under the age of 13 years. The operation involves the complete or partial removal of the cerebral hemisphere and subsequent rehabilitation.

About the treatment of childhood epilepsy in Israel, reviews can be found on the Experts Medical website. You can ask the coordinating doctor of the company how much the treatment of epilepsy in Israel costs from leading neurologists, epileptologists and neurosurgeons.

Rehabilitation after surgical treatment of epilepsy helps patients regain strength and return to a normal lifestyle faster. In the case of pediatric surgery, this is necessary for the healthy development of the child.

The duration and severity of the disease can damage the functioning of the brain. Therefore, a special recovery program helps not only in the postoperative period. Rehabilitation in Israeli clinics is aimed at such improvements:

• in the work of the speech apparatus;
• memory and intellectual abilities;
• mental state;
• motor activity;
• household and social skills.

What can be an approximate rehabilitation plan after surgical treatment of epilepsy in Israel?

Recovery is taking place in stages. Depending on the severity of the disease, the age of the patient and the extent of the surgery, rehabilitation may take several months.

The main stages of postoperative rehabilitation include:

1. The use of drugs. After surgery, the patient may experience headaches, weakness. Swelling may occur in the head area. Israeli doctors prescribe medications that remove all discomfort.
2. Therapy over the following weeks. Special exercises and medications help to fully restore brain function. Treatment is aimed at improving memory and thinking. After about 6 weeks, the person is able to work and take care of themselves.
3. Psychological and emotional recovery. After a few months, the patient becomes calmer. A fully socialized person can lead an absolutely normal life like all healthy people.

Rehabilitation in specialized centers in Israel involves teamwork. The patient is helped by highly specialized doctors, among whom may be neuropathologists, psychologists, physiotherapists and nutritionists. For each patient, an individual rehabilitation program after epilepsy is selected.

Israeli doctors always start the treatment of epilepsy by analyzing the data obtained during the examination of the patient. Therefore, the cost of the entire range of medical services will include diagnostics.

What affects the price of epilepsy treatment in Israeli medical centers?

Israel has private neurological clinics and public hospitals. The quality of the services provided is equally high, but the prices for doctor’s consultations and some types of examinations differ. Diagnosis and treatment in public hospitals will be cheaper than in private ones.

What will help you save money? 

If the patient has passed part of the diagnostics at his place of residence, he will be able to provide a neurologist in Israel with the results of a CT scan or MRI of the brain. Most often, high-quality and informative conclusions are available to residents of Europe and the United States, so they may not overpay for similar procedures in Israel.

If the patient underwent a complete diagnosis and attempts at medical treatment in countries with developed medicine, then the Israeli doctor will be able to get more information. In the absence of positive dynamics, doctors will be able to recommend options for surgical intervention followed by a rehabilitation program. This allows you not to repeat those stages of treatment that did not bring results.

Multidisciplinary clinics in Israel, where epilepsy is one of the leading areas, offer the following range of prices:

• package offer: full diagnostics and conservative treatment – from $8,200;
• deep brain stimulation – about $ 20,000;
• Cyberknife therapy – about $9,000.

If the patient does not have the results of an MRI examination at the place of residence, then the cost of such a procedure will be from $800. In private clinics in Israel, the price of magnetic resonance imaging can reach $1,500.

To get a second opinion of a neurologist and an epileptologist, you can go through a preliminary online consultation. The doctor will get acquainted with the patient’s complaints, study all the materials on the study of epilepsy that are available. Such a service will cost about $370, depending on the status of the doctor. As a rule, a professor’s consultation costs more.

The maximum cost of epilepsy treatment in Israel can reach $25,000. This is a whole range of medical measures that will include complex surgical intervention.

The best multidisciplinary hospitals in Israel accept patients with different stages of epilepsy. In large medical centers, special departments have been opened where therapy and surgery for neurological pathologies in adults and children are carried out.

Which epilepsy clinics in Israel are popular with foreigners?

The Sourasky Clinic in Tel Aviv is in the TOP 10 best hospitals in the world according to the respected edition of Newsweek. Surgical treatment of epilepsy in children is carried out in Dana Dweck, and adult patients are admitted in a specialized neurosurgical department.

The Schneider Medical Center is a children’s clinic that accepts younger patients with neurological pathologies. Doctors specialize in treating children for epilepsy. Everything in the hospital is focused on working with international patients.

Rambam is a major medical center in Haifa. This is one of the few clinics in Israel where doctors perform brain stimulation (vagus nerve stimulator or DBS) for the treatment of epilepsy.

In large medical complexes in Israel, there are medical staff who speak English and Russian. This facilitates the process of communication between foreign patients and hospital staff.

In different cities of Israel, foreign patients can receive medical assistance in the treatment of epilepsy. To find out the cost of procedures in specific clinics and get a second opinion from a neurologist, leave a request on the Experts Medical website.

If the patient or his relatives apply to the operator of medical tourism, then the organization of the trip may take 1-3 days. Experts Medical cooperates with leading clinics in Israel, therefore it provides the most accurate information about prices, reviews about treatment in these medical institutions.

The Experts Medical website presents only trusted Israeli hospitals that have all the necessary certificates to serve foreign citizens. Patients who apply to Experts Medical receive:

• free consultations of the doctor-coordinator of the company;
• assistance in choosing an attending physician, including an Israeli professor;
• full organization of a trip to an Israeli hospital (booking tickets, agreements with doctors on a diagnostic and treatment plan, transfer from the airport);
• assistance in the preparation of all documents, including medical documentation.

About the treatment of epilepsy in Israel, reviews from real patients can be seen on the Experts Medical website.