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VA Hospital in Wisconsin joins nationwide epilepsy network
Wed, 09/23/2009 - 15:41
Madison Wiscon's Veterans Hospital has been named a hub of a regional center of excellence for epilepsy diagnosis and care. Just 15 of the country's 153 VA hospitals are included in the new network.
The hospital performs the key components of advanced epilepsy diagnosis and care, Dr. Paul Rutecki said. They include intensive brain wave monitoring with an electroencephalogram, or EEG, surgery to remove seizure-causing brain tissue and surgery to implant nerve-stimulation devices that can reduce seizures.
About 350 patients are seen for epilepsy at the Madison hospital each year, Rutecki said. More than half develop the condition after their military service. For those who get epilepsy during service, the main causes are combat injuries, encephalitis or brain injuries from fights or car crashes, he said.
Under the new network, doctors will do basic evaluation for epilepsy at VA hospitals through the region and send patients who need advanced treatment to hubs such as Madison, Rutecki said.
For further details, click on http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/health_med_fit/article_773f5e1a-a6f4-11de-91cb-001cc4c03286.html
Re: VA Hospital in Wisconsin joins nationwide epilepsy network
Submitted by pb5 on Thu, 2013-02-14 - 21:06
I was seen and treated by dr. Rutecki and his team and they are an amazing outfit!! They observed me on several ocasions before my brain would give them the info. they needed I have notes of some of the process I went through and they tell me around here that i am looking back over these from time to time. I was an out of state patient and was treated like family with the entire staff.