Pediatric Epilepsy Center

A Global Leader for Treating Epilepsy in Children.
Our top-ranked program offers the latest medical and surgical interventions to help children with epileptic seizures.

Epilepsy Surgical Outcomes

mother hugging her active son
mother hugging her active son

Nicklaus Children's Brain Institute is an internationally recognized leader in caring for children and infants with epilepsy, welcoming patients from all over the world to visit our Epilepsy Center. The South Florida-based program offers the latest medical and surgical interventions to help children with epileptic seizures.

For children whose seizures cannot be controlled medically, the program is a world leader in performing pediatric epilepsy surgery. In fact, leaders who provide care at pediatric epilepsy centers around the world have received training right here at Nicklaus Children's Hospital. Our team has pioneered innovative, minimally invasive surgical methods for children including MRI-guided laser ablation surgery and focused ultrasound.

The program is centered around a team approach to care, in which clinicians from many different specialties come together to review patient information and plan the optimal treatment for each individual child. Epilepsy Center nurses and physicians provide compassionate and supportive care to support the needs of families of children confronting the challenges that come with recurrent seizures.

Choose a Global Leader for Treating Epilepsy in Children

The Epilepsy Center:
  • Has has offered new and investigational medicines to treat epilepsy for more than 30 years.
  • Was the first center in the world to directly map the brains of infants and children as a first step toward successful pediatric brain surgery.
  • Was among the first to offer surgical therapy for epilepsy associated with tuberous sclerosis and treat rare ion channel disturbances.
  • Is one of a handful of centers able to evaluate and surgically treat epilepsy in children with normal MRI scans. This group presents the greatest challenge for surgical planning.
  • Has pioneered minimally invasive techniques for pediatric epilepsy surgery, including laser technology to remove brain tissue causing seizures, and focused ultrasound to ablate epileptic tissue without the need to open the skull.

Conditions We Treat

State-of-the-Art Technology for Pediatric Epilepsy Care & Treatment

State-of-the-Art Technology for Pediatric Epilepsy Care & Treatment

Treating epilepsy can be challenging as each child responds differently to treatment. Our team has the experience to help your family obtain the best treatment for epileptic seizures in your child.

We partner with Florida International University's (FIU) neuro-engineering program to develop avenues for advanced epilepsy diagnosis and treatment. This collaboration includes members of the Epilepsy team at Nicklaus Children's Hospital and basic scientists at FIU. This winning formula provides a mechanism to explore projects leading to innovative care.

Techniques employed by Brain Institute personnel include:

Excellent Surgical Outcomes

When surgical treatment is indicated for children and infants with medically resistant epilepsy (seizures that cannot be curbed by prescription medications), the Epilepsy Center stands out as the center where more than 1,600 surgeries for children with epilepsy have been since 1984. Even ten years after surgery, 67 percent of our patients remain seizure-free or almost y seizure-free.

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30+

over thirty years of experience

NAEC Level 4

Accredited as a Level 4 Epilepsy Center

1,300

surgeries since 1984
featured patient photo.
featured patient photo.

Stories to Inspire

In his short 12 years of life, Beckett Oleson of Tampa has been a healthy, growing boy who enjoys building with Lego sets and performing in musical theater. His life changed abruptly in 2019, when he started to have seizures.
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Awards & Associations