| What is Gamma Knife® Surgery?
Gamma Knife® surgery, sometimes referred to as stereotactic radiosurgery, is a non-invasive method for treating brain disorders. It is the delivery of a single, high dose of radiation to an intra-cranial target in the skull. The extreme precision of Leksell Gamma Knife® makes it possible to administer a high radiation dose to the diseased area, minimizing the risk of damaging healthy tissue. Gamma Knife® surgery avoids surgically opening the skull, with favorable results for the patient's quality of life, treatment cost, clinical outcomes and reduction of complications. With open surgery, patients can expect to spend up to two weeks in the hospital and months convalescing at home. Non-invasive Gamma Knife® surgery is completed in a matter of hours. Patients generally go home within 24 hours and resume normal activities within a few days. Gamma Knife® surgery delivers very high doses of radiation with minimal damage to the normal brain tissue surrounding the problem area. Gamma Knife® surgery is used for a variety of neurological disorders, including AVMs, vestibular schwannomas, meningiomas, pituitary tumors, trigeminal neuralgia and brain metastases. Research is being conducted on other possible uses of Leksell Gamma Knife®, such as treating epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and uveal melanoma.
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