Electroconvulsive Therapy

For those who are unresponsive to traditional therapy and medication management, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) provides another option for relief from severe depression and thoughts of suicide. It has been proven to relieve mania and acute psychosis and can be life-saving.

Aurora Pavilion offers ECT on both an inpatient and outpatient basis. The procedure is administered at our medical facility under the supervision of a psychiatrist, anesthesiologist and an ECT nursing team.

All patient referrals to the ECT program must be medically cleared by a professional prior to the initial consultation with our staff. During the consultation, our staff will explain the details of the procedure and what to expect before, during and after the procedure.

We encourage all professionals to call our assessment staff directly with any referrals to our programs. Our ECT Coordinator will follow up on all ECT inquiries.

In order to help determine if ECT is an appropriate course of treatment, please be prepared to share the following information with our professional staff:

• Brief history of present illness and symptoms
• Justification for ECT treatment
• Past psychiatric and substance use history
• Medical history
• Allergies
• Previous medication trials
• Current medications
• Mental status exam results
• Patient’s assets and strengths
• History and physical
• Pertinent labs
• Signature of referring psychiatrist

A complete outpatient ECT referral form will be provided by the ECT Coordinator.

Individual results may vary. There are risks associated with any medical procedure. Talk with your doctor about these risks to find out if electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is right for you.