A. 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®treats 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. Only the target volume receives a very high dose of radiation while the surrounding tissue remains unharmed.
The procedure is usually performed under local anesthesia with mild sedation. Although the entire procedure takes several hours, the actual treatment takes just 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the size of the lesion being treated. If there are multiple tumors or if the tumor spreads to another area, radiosurgery can be delivered those areas.
There is no risk of surgical complications like infection, hemorrhage or leakage of cerebral spinal fluid. Gamma Knife® radiosurgery has proven effective to over 70,000 candidates for brain surgery who have chosen this option over invasive neurological procedures. Candidates should be over the age of two. [Back to top]
Q. Is it cost effective?
A. Cost studies have shown Gamma Knife® Radiosurgery to be less expensive than conventional neurosurgery because it eliminates lengthy post-surgical hospital stays, expensive medication and sometimes months of rehabilitation. Importantly, there are virtually no post-surgical disability and convalescent costs with this procedure. [Back to top]
Q. Who determines if Gamma Knife® Radiosurgery is appropriate?
A. Medical necessity can be determined by a neurosurgeon, radiation oncologist or other medical specialist after evaluating the patient’s medical condition. Treatment options are then determined and discussed with the patient and family, so an informed decision can be made. [Back to top]
Q. Will my insurance cover Gamma Knife® treatment?
A. Gamma Knife® Radiosurgery is reimbursed by most insurance companies, PPO’s, HMO’s, and Medicare. Each plan is different. You should check your individual policy for coverage prior to the treatment. [Back to top]
Q. Is it Effective?
A. 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 to relieve pain from trigeminal neuralgia. Treatment protocols are under investigation for certain functional disorders such as epilepsy, chronic pain, and Parkinson’s disease.
Patients may be eligible for Gamma Knife® Radiosurgery even if they have previously had brain surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or in the case of AVM, embolization procedure. Results have proven to be superior or comparable to conventional neurosurgery, depending on the specific condition treated. [Back to top]
Q. What can the Gamma Knife® treat?
A.
- Metastatic tumors
- Meningiomas
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Acoustic Neuroma
- Pituitary and pineal tumors
- Glial and astrocytoma tumors
- AVM’s and other vascular malformations
- Other benign and malignant tumors
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Q. How safe is the Gamma Knife® Procedure?
A. Gamma Knife® Radiosurgery is unique because no surgical incision is made. Consequently, the risk of surgical complications does not exist. Patients are routinely administered a mild sedative, eliminating the side effects of general anesthesia.
Gamma Knife® patients generally return home the same day as the procedure and are back to their normal routine in a day or two.
Q. How is Gamma Knife® surgery performed?
A.
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Q. What’s involved in treatment?
A. On the day of the treatment, the Gamma Knife® patient will have a lightweight frame attached to the head. Local anesthesia is used before the frame is secured in place. The frame is used in conjunction with an imaging procedure to accurately locate the area to be treated.
With the frame in place, the patient has either a MRI or CT imaging study or, in the case of arteriovenous malformations, an angiogram, in order to precisely locate the area to be treated.
Information from the imaging study is transferred to the Gamma Knife® computer system. While the patient rests, the Gamma Knife® Center team develops a 3D treatment plan. This takes one to several hours to complete depending on the size and location of the abnormality.
When the individualized treatment plan is completed, the patient is placed on the Gamma Knife® couch and is precisely positioned. The couch then moves automatically, into the Gamma Knife Unit and treatment begins.
Treatment typically lasts from 30 minutes to two hours, during which time the patient feels nothing unusual. At the completion of the treatment the patient is automatically moved out of the Gamma Knife® Unit and the head frame is removed.
Usually the patient will return home with family shortly after a period of observation.
Q. What are the results of Gamma Knife® surgery?
A.
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Q. When will I get better?
A. The effects of Gamma Knife® Radiosurgery occur over a period of time that can range from days to several years, depending on the type of medical condition treated. Some abnormalities dissolve gradually, eventually disappearing. Others exhibit no further growth or shrink gradually.
Q. What are the advantages of Gamma Knife® Radiosurgery?
A.
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