 Gamma Knife
History of the Leksell Gamma Knife®
Neurosurgeon Lars Leksell and biophysicist Börje
Larsson developed the technique called stereotactic radiosurgery in the
1950s at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
Years of research produced an instrument that
enabled surgeons to precisely target brain abnormalities with 201 gamma
beams. This instrument, Gamma Knife, proved capable of
destroying tumors, vascular malformations and a limited number of
functional disorder targets, (e.g. trigeminal nerve).
The first Gamma Knife, installed in
Stockholm in 1968 assisted in the treatment of hundreds of patients
with brain tumors, arteriovenous malformations, acoustic tumors,
meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, craniopharyngiomas and other brain
tumors.
Gamma Knife has been refined and improved
over the years with advances in engineering radiation physics and
treatment planning. The Mercy NeuroScience Institute Gamma Knife Center is one of approximately 200 prominent
neurosurgical institutions in the world utilizing this high-tech
neurosurgical tool.
|
