Medical Frontiers: Epilepsy
PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA)-KDKA's Robert Mangino and Dr. Gerald Pifer welcomed two doctors from the West Penn Allegheny Health System to discuss epilepsy causes and treatment options.
Allegheny General Hospital's Chair of Neurology Dr. James Valeriano and Chair of Neurosurgery Jack Wilberger work as team to come up with the best treatment options for epilepsy patients.
The doctors say that epilepsy involves having recurrent seizures which are electrical spasms in the brain. Only 1.5 percent of people are diagnosed with epilepsy.
Wilberger said brain surgery, which involves removing part of a person's brain, has a 60 to 70 percent success rate of curing the seizures for people who apply.
Valeriano said medication usually is the best treatment for seizures especially if they are recurrent. He said there are over fifteen medications available today although Dilantin is widely used.
Tune in to next week's Medical Frontiers on Monday, April 1, 2013 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. which will focus on Vascular Surgery only on NewsRadio 1020 KDKA.
