Stereotactic Radiosurgery - Gamma Knife
This neurosurgical tool is a “knife” in name only. Its “blades” are actually beams of gamma radiation programmed to target
a lesion or tumor at the point where they intersect. As a result, bad tissue can be killed while surrounding healthy tissue
is spared from unnecessary exposure.
Gamma Knife patients wear a special stereotactic head frame. This lightweight frame is attached to the patient’s head with
four small screws. By preventing the patient’s head from moving during the treatment procedure, this helmet ensures that radiation
beams are precisely targeted – and that only the tumor or lesion receives radiation.
Intended only for single-dose stereotactic radiosurgery, the Gamma Knife is used to treat arteriovenous malformations (AVMs),
malignant tumors and pain symptoms, various benign tumors (such as meningiomas, astrocytomas, acoustic neuromas and pituitary
adenomas), trigeminal neuralgia (neurological disorder of the face) and certain forms of spasticity.
See also:
Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience is the Delaware Valley's leading provider of stereotactic radiosurgery.
Here's why.
