Epilepsy Treatment in India - Cost, Best Doctors & Hospitals

Epilepsy is one of the most serious neurological disorders worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy. However, if treated timely, around 70% of people living with epilepsy could live peacefully without seizures. Additionally, around 25% of the epilepsy cases can also be prevented, says the WHO.

Many patients try to manage their epilepsy symptoms with the help of medicines, home remedies, and Ayurveda. However, when it becomes chronic and negatively affects their daily life, a proper treatment under the supervision of an expert neurosurgeon is an intelligent decision. The WHO also suggests that early treatment helps manage seizures effectively. Also, it eliminates the burden of lifelong medications and emergencies. You will also find the best child epilepsy treatment in India at JCI- and NABH-accredited hospitals at a very affordable cost without any compromise on expert care.

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a neurological condition where you have recurrent and unpredictable seizures. A seizure is defined as a sudden rush of electrical charge in the brain that disturbs the normal brain function. However, you must be aware that not all seizures are considered epilepsy. Epilepsy is a sudden and consistent occurrence of repeated seizures. If you get two or more seizures within 24 hours, you might be having epilepsy, and consultation with an expert neurosurgeon is desirable.

It’s intriguing to note that epilepsy is not a psychiatric disorder; rather, it’s a neurological condition that requires treatment. The symptoms of epilepsy can show in different ways depending on the patient and affected part of the brain. Some patients lack control of their bodies during seizures, and others experience confusion and disillusionment.

What are the symptoms of epilepsy?

As discussed above, symptoms manifest in different ways depending on the individual patient. However, the following are the most common symptoms of epilepsy found in most of the patients.

1. Seizures: Seizures are the most common symptom in people with epilepsy. Also, seizures manifest differently based on the brain region affected, causing temporary loss of awareness and various functional difficulties.
2. Cognitive problems: Common symptoms may include issues related to movement, mood, taste, hearing, vision, and cognitive functions.
3. Mental health issues: Those with epilepsy often experience comorbid mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, and have an increased risk of physical injuries from seizures.

Patients with epilepsy are three times more likely to die early than the general population. This risk is even higher in low- and middle-income countries and rural areas. Surgical options, such as hemispherectomy, are important for reducing these risks and improving patient outcomes.

What are the types of epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a condition where the brain’s electrical system has "glitches", causing seizures. Doctors group these seizures based on where they start in the brain and how much they affect a person's awareness.

1. Focal Onset Seizures

These seizures start in one specific area or on one side of the brain. They are also called "partial seizures".

• Focal-Aware Seizures: The person stays fully awake and knows what is happening. They might feel a sudden "jerk" in an arm, see flashing lights, or have a strange taste in their mouth.
• Focal Impaired-Awareness Seizures: The person seems "out of it" or confused. They might stare blankly into space or do repetitive things like rubbing their hands together or smacking their lips. They usually won't remember what happened.

2. Generalized Onset Seizures

These seizures affect both sides of the brain at the same time from the very start.

• Absence Seizures (petit mal): Most common in children. The person suddenly stops moving and stares into space for a few seconds. It looks like they are daydreaming.
• Tonic-Clonic Seizures (Grand Mal): This is what most people picture when they think of a seizure. The person loses consciousness, their body goes stiff (tonic phase), and then their limbs jerk rapidly (clonic phase).
• Atonic Seizures (Drop Attacks): The person's muscles suddenly go limp. If they are standing, they might fall straight to the ground, which can cause injury.
• Myoclonic Seizures: These are brief, shock-like jerks of a muscle or a group of muscles, usually lasting only a second or two.

3. Unknown-Onset Seizures

Sometimes, a seizure happens when no one is watching (like during sleep), or the beginning isn't clear. If doctors can't tell if it started in one spot or everywhere at once, they call it "Unknown Onset". As more tests are done, these are usually reclassified into one of the groups above.

There are many types of epilepsy, and you should know them. For detailed information, check the most important causes for epilepsy with symptoms and treatment options.

What are the Causes Epilepsy?

There are various causes of epilepsy. Some of the major causes are discussed below:

• Genetic factors, including specific gene mutations, increase the chances of unprovoked seizures.
• Structural brain abnormalities, such as tumors, strokes, or severe injuries, can disrupt the activity of neurones and lead to seizures.
• Infections like meningitis or encephalitis can contribute to the development of epilepsy.
• Early brain damage from prenatal development or childbirth may result in epilepsy later in life.
• Other risk factors include neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic imbalances, and exposure to environmental toxins during pregnancy.
• A family history of epilepsy can further increase the likelihood of developing the condition.

The exact cause of epilepsy varies among individuals, often involving abnormal electrical pulses in the brain. Understanding the causes of epilepsy is critical for accurate diagnosis and effective management.

Who should go for epilepsy treatment in India?

As we have already mentioned, not all seizures mean epilepsy. However, if seizures come again and again, you should get a diagnosis in consultation with your doctor.

• Seizure History: If you have a history of seizures and they could not be effectively managed with medications.
• Staring Spells: If someone (especially a child) often "zones out" for a few seconds and doesn't respond to their name, they should be checked for absence seizures.
• Changing Seizures: If a person already has epilepsy but their seizures are lasting longer, happening more often, or feeling "different" than usual, they need a treatment review.
• Not Responding to Medications: If someone is taking anti-seizure medicine but still has seizures, they should see a specialist to try different treatments.
• Women Planning a Pregnancy: Epilepsy medicine can affect a baby. Women with epilepsy should talk to a doctor before getting pregnant to make sure their treatment is safe.
• Abnormal Experience: If you regularly have strange, unexplainable feelings—like a sudden "rising" feeling in the stomach or weird smells—it could be a sign of focal seizures.
• Falling for No Reason: Sudden, unexplained falls (sometimes called "drop attacks") where the muscles go limp can be a specific type of seizure that requires medicine.
• Seizures following an injury: Anyone who starts having seizures after a head injury, a stroke, or a high fever should seek treatment to manage brain scarring or irritation.
• Advanced Options: If medicine is not working at all, a person might go to a specialized centre to see if they are a candidate for epilepsy surgery or medical devices.
• Losing consciousness unexpectedly: Even if it looks like "fainting", if the person shakes, bites their tongue, or loses control of their bladder, they should be tested for epilepsy.

How is Epilepsy diagnosed?

Now, let’s get into the treatment procedures and diagnosis of epilepsy. There are certain tests that are done before the treatment. Additionally, the doctor goes through the medical history of the patient to check behavioural issues, if any, and functions of the patient’s brain. Before moving on to the step-by-step guide of diagnosis and treatment, know about the best doctors for epilepsy treatment in India.

Before the Surgery

The following tests and checks are done before the doctor starts the surgical process.

MRI, CT scans, and EEG: These tests help identify the starting point of seizures in the brain. It also helps understand the severity of the condition and type of surgery required.

• An electroencephalogram (EEG) shows the brainwave patterns and records the electrical activity. This charge of electrical activity is an underlying condition behind uncontrolled seizures.
• MRI helps to understand the functioning of the brain through images.
• CT scans confirm neurological issues that could be leading to unprovoked seizures.

Blood tests are also done to assess genetic predispositions, infections, and disorders that could be the reason behind seizures.

Psychological Assessments: Doctors try to understand whether you can handle surgery and recovery and manage your lifestyle effectively or not after the surgical procedure.

During the Surgery

You will be placed under anaesthesia so that you don’t feel any pain. Surgeons use imaging technology to exactly find the seizure focus. Intraoperative EEG monitoring is used during surgery to confirm accuracy. This ensures the treatment is safe, targeted, and effective.

Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are the most common treatment and work well for most patients. The aim is to find the right medication at the lowest dose that effectively controls seizures without causing unwanted side effects.

The following are the common surgeries performed by surgeons when medications become ineffective to treat seizures.

• Resective Surgery: A portion of the brain linked to seizure activity may be taken out during resective surgery. Removal targets only the exact site responsible for electrical disturbances. Brain function elsewhere usually remains unchanged.
• Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS): A small device, placed beneath the chest's surface, delivers gentle electric signals through the vagus nerve toward the brain. This method works by adjusting neural activity over time. Seizure occurrence may decline as a result of consistent stimulation.
• Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS): A method known as "deep brain stimulation" requires the placement of electrodes within precise regions of the brain. These devices help adjust irregular neural signals over time.

Also, know in detail aboutDr. Manmohan Singh who is a leading neurosurgeon for DBS Procedure in India.

After the Surgery

You will be kept in the epilepsy care unit. Doctors monitor the coming of any complications or problems that may arise.

Follow-Up & Long-Term Care

• Regular Check-ups: Visit a neurologist consistently to monitor seizure control and adjust medication dosages as needed.
• Medicine Consistency: Take prescribed anti-seizure drugs at the same time every day to keep a steady level in your system.
• Trigger Tracking: Keep a "seizure diary" to identify and avoid personal triggers like lack of sleep, stress, or flashing lights.
• Safety Adjustments: Modify your home environment and daily activities, such as using showers instead of baths, to prevent injury.
• Mental Health Support: Seek counselling or join support groups to manage the emotional impact and social challenges of living with epilepsy.

You might be wondering about the best hospitals to get the treatment. Get comprehensive details on best hospitals for epilepsy treatment in India and how they specialise in their treatments. It’s an important common query for international patients.

Lifestyle Precautions

• Adequate sleep becomes important to control and manage seizures effectively.
• Alcohol use or regular smoking may intensify the condition. Excessive caffeinated coffee, tea, energy drinks, soft drinks, or chocolate may aggravate seizures.
• Managing triggers such as lighting or specific triggers depending upon the patient.
• Stress management becomes essential to avoid triggers.

People also read 5 Signs of Stress That Can Cause Brain Tumors to stay updated about how slow-growing brain tumours may cause epilepsy.

Complications of epilepsy

If you don’t get proper treatment for epilepsy, symptoms can cause many problems.

• Physical Injuries: Falls during a seizure can lead to broken bones, head injuries, or dental damage.
• Safety Risks: Seizures during activities like swimming or driving can result in life-threatening accidents or drowning.
• Pregnancy Issues: Epilepsy and its medications can pose risks to both the mother and the developing baby.
• Emotional Health: People with epilepsy have a higher risk of struggling with anxiety, depression, or memory problems.
• Sudden Death (SUDEP): In rare cases, people with epilepsy may die suddenly due to breathing or heart rhythm issues during a seizure.

Prevention of Epilepsy

• Prevent Head Injuries: Wear helmets during sports and seatbelts in cars to avoid brain trauma that can trigger epilepsy.
• Practice Safe Births: Ensuring good medical care during pregnancy and delivery reduces brain injuries in newborns that cause seizures.
• Manage Health Conditions: Treating high blood pressure and infections like meningitis early helps prevent brain damage and strokes.
• Follow Vaccination Schedules: Getting immunised against diseases like measles or mumps prevents high fevers and brain inflammation.
• Maintain Hygiene: Proper handwashing and food safety help avoid brain parasites, like neurocysticercosis, which is a leading cause of epilepsy.

What are the Options for Epilepsy Treatment in India?

Anti-seizure drugs, surgery, and special diets are used for epilepsy treatment in India, frequently in combination with one another.

■ Anti-epileptic drugs:

About 60% to 70% of epileptic individuals can reduce their seizure frequency with anti-seizure drugs. Treatment for anti-seizures with medicine is customised. To determine which medication(s), dosage(s), or combination(s) best controls your seizures, your healthcare professional may try all of them.

■ Diet therapy:

The two most popular diets that are occasionally advised for individuals with epilepsy are the modified Atkins diet and the ketogenic diet, which are low in carbs, moderate in protein, and high in fat. For youngsters who are not candidates for surgery and for whom medication proved ineffective, diets are typically advised.

■ Epilepsy Operation:

When more than two anti-seizure medication trials are unable to control your seizures, epilepsy surgery may be a safe and viable course of treatment. If anti-seizure drugs aren't controlling your seizures, it's crucial to get tested at an epilepsy centre to find out if you qualify for epilepsy surgery.

Options for surgery include hemispherectomy surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery, which destroys aberrant brain tissue specifically, disconnection, which cuts fibre bundles connecting different parts of the brain, surgical resection, which removes abnormal tissue, and neuromodulation device implantation.

What are the Epilepsy ⁠Operation Types in India?

Surgery alternatives for epilepsy are considered whilst seizures remain out of control despite the most effective scientific management. The intention of brain operation for epilepsy is to become aware of and deal with the precise mind regions liable for initiating seizures. Here are key surgical options:

1. Resective Surgery:

Involves putting off the portion of the mind where seizures originate (seizure consciousness). Common techniques include right temporal lobe lobectomy (eliminating a lobe) or lesionectomy (getting rid of a selected mind lesion).

2. Corpus Callosotomy:

Disconnects the corpus callosum, the bundle of nerve fibres connecting the brain hemispheres, to stop your seizure occurrences.

3. Multiple Subpial Transections (MST):

Interrupts the pathways through which seizures unfold without getting rid of mind tissue.

4. Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS):

The vagus nerve stimulation surgery involves implanting a device that stimulates the vagus nerve, modulating brain interest to lessen seizures.

5. Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS):

Implants electrodes directly into the brain vicinity producing seizures. The device monitors and responds with electric stimulation to disrupt seizure hobbies.

6. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS):

Emerging choice regarding implanted electrodes in unique mind areas, modulating neural activity to govern seizures.

Epilepsy operation calls for careful preoperative assessment to precisely pick out the seizure recognition and reduce potential dangers, making sure the most appropriate candidates go through these interventions for ultimate results. For patients who need one of these advanced procedures, epilepsy surgery in india through CureIndia ensures access to neurosurgeons experienced in all six surgical modalities, supported by internationally accredited neuroimaging and intraoperative EEG monitoring facilities.

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Recommended Doctors for Epilepsy Treatment in India

Epilepsy's treatment requires special knowledge and skills from experienced neurologists and epilepsy specialists. CureIndia helps you find the best epilepsy specialists in India for your treatment. The experts in India have years of experience and the necessary expertise to provide effective management and treatment of Epilepsy. Let us introduce you to the leading epilepsy specialists in India.

1. Dr. Aditya Gupta

Dr. Aditya Gupta needs no introduction, as he is regarded by patients as a top doctor for the best epilepsy treatment in India. He has more than 32 years of experience and thousands of satisfied patients who earlier had chronic epilepsy. His patients have a 99% satisfaction rate, and they highly recommend Dr. Aditya Gupta for epilepsy treatment in India.

2. Dr. Sandeep Vaishya

Dr. Sandeep Vaishya always features in the top 5 neurosurgeons in India. He is an expert in complex epilepsy surgeries and has been recognized internationally for his contributions in the field of neurosurgery. He has been awarded multiple times from international bodies and institutions for his extraordinary expertise.

3. Dr. Sachin Kandhari

With a dozen international awards and recognitions, Dr. Sachin Kandhari is one of the leading neurosurgeons in India with more than 20 years of experience. He has an extensive track record of successfully performing complex neurosurgeries. He is an avid reader and writer, with multiple publications and research papers to his credit.

4. Dr. V. P. Singh

Dr. V.P. Singh is an all-in-one neurosurgeon with more than 30 years of experience. He is recognized for his expertise in laser surgery for epilepsy. He received the best paper award at the 7th Annual Epilepsy Association Conference in 1999.

5. Dr. Himanshu Champaneri

Dr. Himanshu Champaneri is one of the most respected names in functional neurosurgeries like Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Spinal Cord Stimulation, Phrenic Nerve Stimulation, etc. He is the first neurosurgeon to perform schizophrenia surgery in India. He has profound expertise in performing minimally invasive brain and spine surgeries.

What is the Epilepsy Treatment Cost in India?

Epilepsy treatment in India saves you  60 to 70% in cost!

The epilepsy costs in Western countries are extremely high. This is the fundamental reason why patients from Africa and the USA come to India to get global standard treatment at lower costs. In fact, getting epilepsy treatment in India saves you around 60 to 70% in cost without any compromise on expert medical care.

Below is the cost comparison table:

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Epilepsy Treatment in India FAQs