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LINKS to Brain Disorders

Epilepsy, Essential Tremor, Pain, Parkinson's,
Trigeminal Neuralgia

LINKS to Brain Tumors

Acoustic Neuroma, Astrocytomas, Glioblastomas,
Metastatic Brain Tumors, Meningioma, Other
Malignant Tumors, Pituitary Tumors, Childhood
Tumors

GAMMA
KNIFE®
SURGERY
Gamma Knife® surgery is
Search
recognized worldwide as the preferred treatment for brain
tumors, arteriovenous malformations and brain
dysfunctions such as trigeminal neuralgia. It is supported
by over 2,500 peer reviewed research articles that are
Brain Tumors Brain primarily published in neurosurgery journals. The
Disorders AVMs Gamma Knife® offers a non-invasive alternative for
Radiosurgery Gamma many patients for whom traditional brain surgery is not
Knife Linac Radiotherapy an option. Gamma Knife® surgery removes the physical
Overview Childhood trauma and the majority of risks associated with
Brain Tumors IMRT conventional surgery. This effective single session
Radiation Therapy treatment may require an overnight hospital stay, but is
Radiation Injury often done in an outpatient surgical setting with periodic
Treatment Day Making a follow-up. It has been proven safe over the long term and
Decision Centers of is recognized and covered by insurance plans.
Excellence Publications
Definitions Q & A Brain The same as neurosurgery, the Gamma Knife® allows
Talk® Forum Homepage noninvasive cerebral surgery to be performed in one
session and with extreme precision, sparing tissues
adjacent to the target. Based on preoperative radiological
examinations, such as CT scans, MR scans and
angiography, the unit provides highly accurate irradiation
of deep-seated targets, using a multitude of collimated
 beams of ionizing radiation with scalpel-like precision.
Gamma Knife® surgery represents a major advance in
brain surgery, and in the last three decades has changed
the landscape within the field of neurosurgery. Its
development has enhanced neurosurgical treatments
offered to patients with brain tumors and vascular
Top of Form malformations by providing a safe, accurate and reliable
emerick treatment option. Gamma Knife® enables patients to
undergo a non-invasive form of brain surgery without
1 surgical risks, a long hospital stay or subsequent
rehabilitation.
siteminer.superst Like other radiosurgery, Gamma Knife® surgery is
unique in that no surgical incision is made to expose the
Search IRSA inside of the brain, thereby reducing the risk of surgical
complications and eliminating the side effects and
dangers of general anesthesia. The "blades" of the
Search:
Gamma Knife® are the beams of gamma radiation
programmed to target the lesion at the point where they
intersect. In a single treatment session, 201 beams of
site gamma radiation focus precisely on the lesion. Over time,
most lesions slowly decrease in size and dissolve. The
Go! exposure is brief and only the tissue being treated
receives a significant radiation dose, while the
surrounding tissue remains unharmed.
Bottom of Form With the Gamma Knife®, a surgical incision is not
required; the attendant risks of open neurosurgical
procedures (hemorrhage, infection, cerebrospinal fluid
leakage, etc.) are therefore avoided.
Unique Hits since
Published reports indicate that the Gamma Knife® may
January 2003
be used as an alternative to standard neurosurgical
operations or as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of
residual or recurrent lesions left unresected by
conventional surgery. Radiosurgery can be especially
useful for those patients who are not suitable for standard
surgical techniques due to illness or advanced age. In
many neurosurgical cases, the Gamma Knife® is the only
feasible treatment.
Conditions for which the Gamma Knife® is considered
most effective are:
1. Intracranial tumors such as acoustic neuromas,
pituitary adenomas, pinealomas,
craniopharyngiomas, meningiomas, chordomas,
chondrosarcomas, metastases and glial tumors.
2. Vascular malformations including arteriovenous
malformations.
3. Functional disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia
and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Evidence-based research has shown Gamma Knife® to
be effective for trigeminal neuralgia. Research has not
supported linear accelerator (linac) treatment of
trigeminal neuralgia and other functional brain disorders
like tremors and pain at this time. In addition to the above
mentioned indications, functional disorders such as
intractable pain, Parkinson's disease, essential tremors
and epilepsy are often treated with Gamma Knife®.
The Gamma Knife® technology can be used to treat
those who do not require immediate surgical relief of
disabling symptoms and those whose tumors are, in
general, 4-5 cm or less. When Gamma Knife® cannot be
utilized or is not available to the patient, radiosurgery
with linear accelerator technology can usually be utilized.
For more information on linear accelerator treatment and
technology see Linear Accelerator.
ADVANTAGES OF GAMMA
KNIFE®
• Gamma Knife® is a neurosurgical tool designed
exclusively for the treatment of brain disorders.

• The lesion being treated receives a high dose of

radiation with minimum risk to nearby tissue and
structures.

• The cost of a Gamma Knife® procedure is often

25% to 30% less than traditional neurosurgery.

• Patients experience little discomfort.

• The absence of an incision eliminates the risk of

hemorrhage and infection.

• Hospitalization is short, typically an overnight

stay or an outpatient surgical procedure. Patients
can immediately resume their previous activities.

• Gamma Knife® technology allows treatment of

inoperable lesions. The procedure offers hope to
patients who were formerly considered
untreatable or at very high risk during open skull
surgery.

Leksell Gamma Knife® is a registered trademark

of Elekta Instruments, Inc.
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