Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Conference 2026

This session will explore the complex care of children with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (such as Lennox Gastaut syndrome, infantile spasms, Otahara syndrome, and DEE-SWAS) with a focus on how treatment decisions may affect both seizure control and long-term development. Speakers will discuss the role of medication, the circumstances in which epilepsy surgery may be considered, and what families should know about balancing risks, benefits, and developmental goals. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of how clinicians think about these severe epilepsy syndromes and the factors that can influence outcomes over time.

Genetic testing can help explain the cause of a child’s epilepsy, guide treatment decisions, identify related health concerns, and connect families to research opportunities. This session will break down the different types of genetic testing, when testing may be appropriate, and what families should know about possible results, including uncertain findings. It will also cover practical issues like access, and how to use results to ask better questions and make more informed decisions.

Some children and young adults have hearing-related challenges after epilepsy surgery even when their basic hearing is normal. This session will explore how epilepsy surgery can affect auditory processing, including understanding speech, following directions, processing sound in noisy settings, and keeping up in school or daily life. Families will learn what signs to watch for, how these issues are evaluated, and what supports may help at home, in therapy, and in the classroom.

Session times are placeholders for now. Final times will be set once we confirm clinician schedules.

This session will bring together experts to discuss recent advances in epilepsy surgery, including new techniques, technologies like focused ultrasound, and approaches to patient selection, planning, and follow-up care. Attendees will hear about emerging trends in the field, what may be changing in clinical practice, and what these developments could mean for children and families considering surgery now or in the future.

When a child has had epilepsy surgery, new symptoms can be scary and can be misunderstood, especially in the emergency room. This neurosurgery-led session helps families recognize red flags that could point to a surgical or neurologic problem, and teaches you how to advocate clearly and effectively with ER staff and neurosurgical teams.
Surgeons will cover what they worry about when seizures return, behaviors suddenly change, or new “spells” appear, including signs of incomplete disconnection or other post-surgical complications, and both common and less obvious signs of hydrocephalus or shunt malfunction. We’ll talk about symptoms that can look like “behavior” but may actually be seizures or rising pressure in the brain, and what details help neurosurgeons act fast.

Families will leave with a practical ER advocacy toolkit: what to track at home, the key phrases that get the right attention, what imaging or consults are typically considered, what to ask for when you suspect a neurosurgical issue, and how to escalate respectfully if you’re not being heard. This session is designed to help you feel more prepared in high-stress moments.

This session will provide a practical overview of laser ablation in pediatric epilepsy surgery, including how it works, when it may be considered, and what recent research is showing about outcomes, safety, and evolving techniques. It will also include discussion of a more specialized topic: the use of laser ablation to address missed connections after functional hemispherectomy in selected cases. Because many families in attendance have experience with hemispheric procedures, this session is designed to offer both a solid foundation and a thoughtful look at how laser ablation may fit into the broader surgical landscape.

The move from pediatric to adult care can be challenging for young people with epilepsy and complex neurological needs. This session will help families understand what to expect during the transition to adult neurology and neurosurgical care, including differences in care models, medical records, decision-making, insurance, and patient independence. Attendees will learn practical steps to prepare early, avoid gaps in care, and help young adults build the knowledge and confidence they need to navigate the adult medical system.

Session times are placeholders for now. Final times will be set once we confirm clinician schedules.

Our speakers will discuss:

• How neurologists purposefully choose anti-seizure medications (ASMs) that can pull double-duty by also improving sleep or behavior, and how they avoid medications that make irritability or night-waking worse. For children who are not on ASMs, our speakers will explain how they safely introduce medications for sleep or behavior without lowering the seizure threshold or triggering new seizures.
• How to safely choose and combine medications to manage anxiety, depression, attention issues, and executive functioning deficits without disrupting seizure control.
• Common challenges that arise during the transition from pediatric to adult neurology, including what happens when adult providers are more hesitant to prescribe or manage ADHD and other psychiatric medications that were started in childhood.

You will leave with practical tips on how to track symptoms, what information to bring to appointments, how to know when to bring up your concerns, and what questions to ask so you can confidently partner with your neurology team to help your child thrive.