Advantages & Outcomes
Advantages
Gamma Knife radiosurgery offers several advantages over both
conventional neurosurgery and other forms of stereotactic
radiosurgery.
Safety
Because Gamma Knife treatment is non-invasive, it eliminates
the risk of complications, such as hemorrhage and infection,
associated with conventional open skull procedures. Adults
do not require general anesthesia.  Nausea,
vomiting and headaches, often side effects of external beam
radiation, are virtually eliminated. Most patients undergoing
Gamma Knife treatment spend less than one day in the hospital
as compared to seven days for conventional surgery.
The Gamma Knife procedure spares surrounding normal tissue,
because the energy of each individual beam is too weak on its own to
cause damage as it passes through skin, bone, and brain on route to
the target. Yet, at the point that the 201 beams converge, a
therapeutic dose of radiation is precisely targeted to destroy the
abnormality.
Precision
The Gamma Knife is exquisitely precise compared to other forms of
stereotactic radiosurgery devices. Three-dimensional computerized
dosimetry results in accuracy at the target site of 1/10 of a
millimeter. Beyond the lesion, the radiation fall-off is very rapid,
minimizing the risk to surrounding anatomical structures. Patients
receive treatment that is specifically tailored for them with the
help of the Gamma Knife team and sophisticated diagnostic and
dosimetry techniques.
Cost Efficiency
Gamma Knife radiosurgery is less expensive when compared with
conventional neurosurgery. There is little or no hospital stay,
expensive medication or lengthy recovery. Post-surgical disability
and rehabilitation costs are greatly reduced.
Effectiveness
Gamma Knife treatment is highly effective, with proven results
over 25 years of world- wide experience. No mortality and few
complications have been reported.
Outcomes
Results of Gamma Knife surgery vary with the type, location, and
size of the tumor or malformation. Some of the outcomes of treatment
by condition include:
- Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Approximately 80
percent of AVMs treated with the Gamma Knife are obliterated
within two to three years.
- Acoustic neuromas. Tumor growth is controlled in
greater than 90 % of patients with almost no risk of facial
nerve injury. Hearing can be preserved in many cases.
- Benign tumors. Many unresectable meningiomas, pituitary
adenomas, and craniopharyngiomas have been successfully treated
with Gamma Knife therapy.
- Malignant tumors. Surgically inaccessible brain
metastases, multiple brain metastases, and radioresistant tumors
such as melanomas can be controlled. Patients with anaplastic
gliomas and glioblastoma multiforme can also benefit.
- Trigeminal neuralgia. Gamma Knife treatment is an
alternative, non-invasive therapy to consider when evaluating
patients with trigeminal neuralgia.
Success Stories
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