General anaesthesia is usually not required at all for Gamma Knife radiosurgery asc frame in place on the head. Only in the minority cases (e.g. very young children) will sedation (or sometimes a general anaesthesia) be required for Gamma Knife radiosurgery.

Gamma Knife (a registered trademark of Elekta Radiosurgery of Atlanta, GA) Radiosurgery replaces the surgeon's scalpel with a single, high dose of gamma radiation. Like the surgeon's scalpel, the Gamma Knife eradicates the diseased area with a safe and effective approach. The patient wears a lightweight head frame that attaches to a helmet, through which 201 beams of gamma radiation precisely focus at a single target.

Over 70,000 patients worldwide have chosen Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for treatment of benign tumors such as acoustic neuromas, meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, pineal tumors; malignant tumors like metastatic tumors, astrocytomas and glioblastomas. The Gamma Knife has also been used to eradicate arteriovenous malformations (AVM) and treatment protocols are under investigation for certain functional disorders such as epilepsy, chronic pain, trigeminal neuralgia, and Parkinson's disease.

After administering local anesthesia and intravenous sedation, a stereotactic frame is attached to the patient's head. Next the head is imaged using a CT or MRI scanner while the patient wears the stereotactic frame. For vascular malformations, an angiogram is obtained as well. A treatment plan is developed by computer using the brain images. This is done by the coordinated efforts of the neurosurgeon, radiation oncologist and radiation physicist.

Gamma Knife surgery is different from conventional radiation therapy of the brain because it is only directed to the target and spares unnecessary treatment of adjacent, normal brain. It differs because only a one day treatment is required rather than many treatments over several weeks and can be repeated if needed. It can be used in conjunction with conventional surgery as a boost and can be used in previously inoperable cases.

Medical necessity can be determined by a neurosurgeon, radiation oncologist or other medical specialist after evaluating a prospective patient's medical condition. Treatment options are then determined and discussed with the patient and family, so an informed decision can be made.

The Gamma Knife Perfexion? precisely focuses 192 beams of gamma radiation on a specific target area of the brain, with each beam originating from a slightly different point. Highly sophisticated computer software is used to determine the size, location and shape of the area to be treated. Only at the point where all 192 beams cross is enough radiation delivered to affect the diseased tissue, while sparing surrounding tissue.

This noninvasive technology treats patients with abnormalities that are located within the brain or that are too close to delicate structures and blood vessels (though it is most effective on targets less than four centimeters in size). Almost a third of all the patients treated with the Gamma Knife since 1968 have sought relief from blood vessel problems (i.e. AVMs). Nearly two-thirds were treated for brain tumors, including cancer, glial tumors and rarer types of tumors.

The individual beams of gamma radiation are not strong enough to damage any tissue as they travel through the skull to the treatment site. At the site, the beams join together pecisely to act in the same way a surgical "knife" would to treat the abnormality.

After patients arrive at the Gamma Knife Center they are given a mild sedative (children are often completely anesthetized). Shortly after that time, a box-shaped head frame is attached to the head with four screws (two in front and two in back). The key to the gamma-knife's precision lies in this box-shaped frame. The frame serves two purposes: 1. It holds the patient's head perfectly still when radiation is given. 2.

The cure of a brain tumor by radiosurgery means that the tumor loses its ability to grow and remains the same size, never growing again. The intensely focused gamma rays destroy the ability of the cells to divide. Sometimes benign tumors actually shrink over time and malignant tumors may completely disappear. This curative process occurs over months to years.

We have extensive experience with both technologies and we no longer use the LINAC for intracranial radiosurgery.

Drs. Battista or Wiet (i.e. a neurotologist), a radiation oncologist and a physicist are the three team members that are involved with designing the treatment plan on day of the procedure. Each of these three different team members has expertise in specific areas related to the treatment. The neurotologist has special expertise in the anatomy and physiology of the anatomical area to be treated.

The typical Gamma Knife treatment consists of four (4) stages Frame Fixation, Diagnostic Imaging, Treatment Planning and Actual Treatment. During frame fixation, a metal stereotactic frame is fixed on the patient’s head by the neurosurgeon using local anesthesia. The frame acts as a reference point for the subsequent calculation of target coordinates in the brain using neuroradiological images.

It is precise. Its effects on surrounding brain and other critical neural and vascular structures are minimized. It is safe - the design of the Department of Neurosurgery's Gamma Knife unit meets the rigorous standards for safety and efficacy set by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory commission and patients do not face the risks associated with open-skull procedures or general anesthesia. The Gamma Knife Perfexion is also highly effective - its success rate is unprecedented.

The Gamma Knife is not actually a knife at all. It is a stereotactic radiosurgical device that non-invasively treats malignant and benign brain tumors, vascular malformations and trigeminal neuralgia in a single patient visit. Patients are treated on an out-patient basis or may require an overnight hospital stay.