NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Going out for a drive is a dream come true for Lisa Egli, who suffered from seizures most of her life.

In her 20s, Egli was diagnosed with epilepsy, a brain disorder that impacts nearly 3.5 Americans. The condition overwhelmingly controlled her life, forcing her to take multiple medications, yet, she said, she still couldn’t predict what would trigger her next seizure.

That’s when she learned about the SLATE clinical trial at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian. The only hospital where neurosurgeons like Dr. Vivek Mehta use virtual and augmented reality to highlight the problem area and rehearse a minimally invasive brain surgery using a laser for drug-resistant epilepsy patients.