Skip to Content

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.