Israel Performs First Implantation of Non-Invasive Epilepsy Treatment
A 42-year-old woman at Beilinson Hospital has become the first patient in Israel to receive an innovative, non-invasive treatment for epilepsy. The technology delivers electrical stimulation to the epileptic focus without penetrating the brain.
For years, Olga Moisa lived in fear of another epileptic seizure. Medication failed to control her condition, while surgery to remove the source of her seizures carried the risk of worsening her existing disability.
The procedure was performed at Clalit-Beilinson Medical Center by Dr. Idit Tamir, director of the Functional Neurosurgery Unit. Developed in Germany by PRECISIS and distributed in Israel by Medor, the EASEE system is implanted beneath the scalp and above the skull bone. A wire connects the device to a battery implanted in the chest, allowing it to deliver electrical stimulation to the identified epileptic focus without direct contact with the brain.
Israel is the first country outside Europe where the system has been implanted in a patient, marking an important step toward expanding treatment options for people living with epilepsy.
Eligibility depends on accurately identifying the source and location of the seizures, and each case must be assessed individually.
The technology has demonstrated results comparable to the improvements observed with invasive neurostimulation devices. For appropriately selected patients, it offers a genuine alternative to these treatments.
Approximately 100,000 people in Israel live with epilepsy, and around one-third do not achieve adequate seizure control despite medication.
Moisa has lived with epilepsy since suffering a stroke in Ukraine approximately 15 years ago. According to her son, Sasha, the stroke resulted from bleeding caused by a congenital cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Following the stroke, the right side of her body remained paralyzed, and she underwent extensive rehabilitation. Her epileptic seizures began around the same time as these persistent functional difficulties.
Moisa immigrated to Israel in 2022 following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
“They told us they could no longer do anything and that she would have to live with it for the rest of her life,” her son recalled.
In 2024, after experiencing a series of consecutive epileptic seizures, she sought treatment at Clalit-Beilinson Medical Center.
A video EEG examination enabled doctors to identify the origin of her seizures in a brain region associated with the functioning of the right side of her body. Given the location of the epileptic focus, surgically removing it could have caused further functional impairment.
“Some patients do not respond to medication. We sometimes try one drug after another, but none of them manages to control the seizures,” explained Professor Benninger.
For these patients, treatment options may include surgically removing the epileptic focus or implanting a neurostimulation device. Surgery can significantly reduce seizures, but it is not suitable for everyone, particularly when the epileptic focus is located near brain regions responsible for essential functions.
Another option is vagus nerve stimulation, which involves placing an electrode around a nerve in the neck and implanting a battery in the chest. This treatment may also be suitable for patients with generalized or multifocal epilepsy. However, some patients experience side effects, including hoarseness, speech difficulties and, in certain cases, shortness of breath.
Moisa underwent the implantation procedure on August 31. According to her son, she did not experience any seizures in the days following the operation. However, it is still too early to determine whether the improvement will be sustained over time.
Today, she is beginning to consider possibilities that once seemed out of reach, including travelling abroad. It is a dream she has held since 2024 but had been afraid to pursue because of her seizures.
The family still does not know to what extent the device will reduce the frequency of her seizures, or whether her medication can eventually be adjusted. The coming months will be crucial in assessing the treatment's effectiveness.
The first implantation of the EASEE system in Israel, at Clalit-Beilinson Medical Center, marks a significant development in the treatment of focal epilepsy. It could offer a new option, particularly for patients whose seizures remain uncontrolled despite medication and for whom conventional brain surgery carries considerable risks.
Caroline Haïat
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