Not a knife in the literal sense, the Gamma Knife is a bladeless "knife" that performs brain surgery without cutting. Until the development of the Gamma Knife, brain tumors, vascular malformations and other problems in the brain were treated either surgically, with radiation therapy or with both. The Gamma Knife is the "Gold Standard" of another option called stereotactic radiosurgery, which accomplishes highly effective treatment of problems in the brain safely and without incisions.

The Gamma Knife is a noninvasive neurosurgical instrument which was developed by Swedish neurosurgeon Lars Leksell in the mid-1900's. It has been in use since 1968 and is considered state-of-the-art due to its highly sophisticated computer software treatment planning program which pinpoints intracranial lesions with exquisite accuracy.

Simple in design yet sophisticated in performance, the Gamma Knife allows the neurosurgeon to operate on intracranial problems with radiation instead of using a scalpel. With the guidance of its highly sophisticated 3-dimensional treatment plan, the Gamma Knife delivers a single, highly concentrated dose of radiation to a small, critically located target within the brain by focusing gamma rays from 201 separate sources on the same precise point. The dose is shaped to conform precisely with the location, size and shape of the target, thereby destroying it while protecting the normal brain tissue which surrounds it. Patients do not feel the treatment, and they are free to resume their normal lifestyle and activities the following day.

Stereotactic refers to the precise localization of the target tissue by use of three-dimensional coordinates provided by a stereotactic frame. The frame appears on pre-treatment scans and provides fixed coordinates relative to the target, enabling precise treatment planning.

Radiosurgery is surgery in which tissue destruction is performed by means of radiation rather than surgical incision.

Conditions Treated:
Brain tumors, both benign & malignant
Vascular malformations of the brain
"Functional Disorders"

• Parksinson's
• essential tremor
• trigeminal neuralgia
• chronic pain

SOURCE:
American Gamma Knife Network, L.L.C.
1-800-640-AGKN (2456)