 Gamma Knife
Technology
Expanding Treatment Options Worldwide
Since 1968, worldwide use of the Gamma Knife has expanded
treatment options for thousands of adult and pediatric
patients with brain disorders. The Gamma Knife was first
introduced in the United States in 1987.
The Gamma Knife is a
stereotactic radiosurgical instrument that delivers a
single high dose of precisely focused radiation through the
intact skull to a small and critically located intracranial
volume. With pinpoint accuracy, 201 beams of Cobalt-60
radiation arrest or alter tissue growth.
The Gamma Knife, which contains no blade and makes no
incision, is a sophisticated, dedicated instrument
exclusively designed for the treatment of malignant and
benign brain tumors,
vascular malformations and
trigeminal neuralgia. As a non-invasive treatment for
individuals with well-defined patient profiles, Gamma Knife
surgery offers a low-risk, safe and cost-effective
alternative.
Precision & Safety
The Gamma Knife combines data from three-dimensional
computer imaging studies with a stereotactic head frame to
precisely focus radiation. It can destroy, arrest or reduce
tumors, cause lesions to deteriorate, close
arteriovenous malformations, and alter the conducting
pain fibers in cases of trigeminal neuralgia.
At the time of treatment, the patient is fitted with a
stereotactic head frame, which serves as a measuring guide
and helps keep the head in a fixed position to assure
maximum treatment accuracy. The frame's external axis is
used to determine coordinates for targeting the abnormality.
After the frame is attached, the patient receives an
MRI,
CT,
or
angiographic scan. Data from the imaging study is
transferred into the state-of-the-art treatment planning
computer, which enables the treatment team (a neurosurgeon,
radiation oncologist, radiation physicist and technicians)
to tailor radiation dose distribution to conform
specifically to the
lesion volume. Completing the treatment plan takes one
to two hours, depending on the complexity and location of
the disease.
When the treatment plan is completed, the patient is
placed on the Gamma Knife couch and precisely positioned.
Next, a collimator helmet containing 201 evenly distributed
portals is attached to the frame, and the patient is
introduced headfirst into the Gamma Knife. Then, the patient
is treated with the 201 sources of Cobalt 60 housed in the
Gamma Knife. The 201 single doses of gamma rays converge at
the target area and deliver a dose that is high enough to
destroy the diseased tissue without damaging surrounding
healthy tissue.
For further details on Gamma Knife technology and
treatment, see the
FAQs.
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