Your Child's Epilepsy Surgery Assessment at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

If you're thinking about epilepsy surgery for your child, they'll need some tests to decide if they're a candidate.

Our epilepsy experts will do a pre-op assessment and tests to:

  • Pinpoint the area in your child's brain where the seizures start.
  • Find out if surgery is possible or needed.

Contact the Epilepsy Surgery Program at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

To make a referral, schedule an appointment, or request an evaluation for a child or teen, contact us at 412-692-6928 or email epilepsysurgery@chp.edu.

What Tests Will My Child Need Before Epilepsy Surgery?

Tests include:

  • EEG and Video EEG – A test that uses small button-shaped discs on the outside of the scalp to record the brain waves.
  • MEG – A test that uses sensors to form an image of magnetic fields produced within the brain.
  • MRI Scan – A test that uses powerful magnets, invisible radio waves, and a computer to scan the body. It takes clear, detailed pictures of organs and other structures.
  • PET Scan – A test that gives doctors special pictures of chemical and other changes in the brain that MRI and CT scans cannot show.
  • SPECT Scan – A test that detects blood flow changes in the brain.