A new seizure and epilepsy unit opened at Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital for patients to access enhanced monitoring and diagnostic services. About 10,500 people in Saskatchewan are living with epilepsy.
The four-bed Seizure Investigation Unit doubles the number of inpatient beds previously available to help reduce the current wait times for patients 17 years of age and older. The environment is highly-specialized and controlled so neurologists and other physicians can monitor brain activity in patients for a certain period. This typically includes performing surgical interventions to gather important information, such as the nature and origin of seizures.
Design input from patients and family members helped create a nurturing, home-like atmosphere for people with difficult-to-diagnose or difficult-to-treat seizures or epilepsy. Many patients living with seizure disorders or epilepsy can control seizures with medication. However, in some cases seizures are resistant to medication and surgery can be an option, which is determined through in-depth monitoring and diagnostic treatments.
“Previously, people undergoing seizure monitoring at RUH found themselves in a shared space alongside critically ill patients, which heightened their stress and presented obstacles for our medical team to capture crucial patient information,” Saskatchewan Epilepsy Program with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the University of Saskatchewan Medical Director Dr. Alexandra Carter said. “Our new Seizure Investigation Unit creates an environment where comfort and cutting-edge care converge, allowing us to provide advanced medical care tailored to our patients’ needs and help fulfill our mission to the people of Saskatchewan living with seizures and epilepsy.”
A total of $2.2 million was spent to renovate and furnish the SIU. The Royal University Hospital Foundation (RUHF) contributed $1.2 million in funding to cover capital and equipment costs, with the Government of Saskatchewan providing the remaining $1 million. The government will be investing $1.35 million in annual operational funding in the SIU.
