What is Gamma Knife Radio surgery?
Gamma Knife radiosurgery is a painless, bloodless technique to treat brain disorders without patient actually undergoing the surgery. The procedure involves treating the disease with a single very high dose of gamma radiation to eradicate it without the traditional way of opening the skull. The procedure has thus no risks of surgical complications like infection, hemorrhage or leakage of cerebral spinal fluid. It is a safe and effective technique where in the patient wears as lightweight head frame attached to a helmet through which hundreds of gamma radiations precisely focus on a single target- the diseased tissue leaving the surrounding healthy tissue unharmed.
The procedure is done under local anesthesia with mild sedation. The actual treatment takes just 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of lesion, though the preparation takes several hours. It has proven effective to over 500,000 candidates for brain surgery who have chosen it over invasive brain procedures.
How do I decide if gamma knife surgery is right for me?
Whether or not you are a candidate for gamma knife can only be decided by the neurosurgeon after evaluating your medical condition. He shall discuss the options with you and your family so that you can make an informed decision.
Is gamma knife better than conventional brain surgery?
Better is a very relative word. Not everyone is a candidate for gamma knife surgery. The neurosurgeon shall examine you and your reports to suggest how effective would gamma knife surgery for you. It cannot replace traditional open brain surgery in all cases, but offers several advantages over open surgery when a patient is a candidate for gamma knife. The advantages include:
- Only one session is required- no down time for recuperation and thus early return to activities
- Blood less and virtually painless procedure
- Much more accurate than other radiosurgeries as designed specifically for brain treatment
- No chances of complications like in open brain surgery
- Can be done in cases deemed un operable or complex for open brain surgery
- Gamma Knife is the only method approved by the FDA for treatment of brain metastases
- Can be used in combination with conventional surgery and as therapeutic radiation boost
- High patient acceptance and effectiveness with essentially no mortality after treatment of over 500,000 patients worldwide
- Can be used when prior surgery or radiation therapy has failed to control the disease
How effective is gamma knife surgery?
Over 500,000 patients worldwide have successfully undergone gamma knife radiosurgery. Results have proven to be superior or comparable to conventional neurosurgery, depending on the specific condition treated.
What conditions can be treated with gamma knife?
Benign tumors like acoustic neuromas, meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, pineal tumors; malignant tumors like metastatic tumors, astrocytomas and glioblastomas are treated by Gamma knife.
It is also used to eradicate arteriovenous malformations (AVM) quite successfully.
Can the patients who have undergone open brain surgery or other treatments eligible for gamma knife?
Yes, patients who have previously undergone open brain surgery or even radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or embolization procedure in cases of AVM are eligible for gamma knife.
How safe is gamma knife surgery?
Gamma Knife Radiosurgery is much safer as compared to open surgery because there are no risks associated with open surgery are involved. Since the procedure is done with mild sedative, the risks related with anesthesia are also ruled out.
What can be the complications and what are the chances of complications of Gamma Knife surgery?
Complications are quite rare as compared to the open brain surgery. Since there is no exposure to any brain tissue is involved, there are minimum chances of any complications. Since the procedure is done under sedation and not under general anesthesia, there are nil chances of any anesthesia related complications. The most commonly reported complications are local pain or swelling at the site of the pin placement and/or headache that is resolved with pain medication.
How is the gamma knife surgery done?
The patient is given local anesthesia with mild oral sedation and a lightweight frame is attached to the patient's head. A CT or MRI is done with the frame in place, to pin point the site of the lesion most precisely. In case the patient is suffering from AVM atreio venous malformation an angiography is also done. The use of the frame is to completely immobilize the patient.
The CT and MRI images are transferred to the gamma knife computer for treatment planning which is done by very complex software. The patient is then placed on the Gamma Knife couch with the head first and the treatment begins, which lasts from 15 minutes to an hour depending on the complexity of the case.
No hospitalization is generally required and the patients are sent home the same day. Most people even resume their normal activities from the next day itself.
How many days would I need to stay at the hospital for my gamma knife treatment in India? How many days am I supposed to stay in India?
An overnight stay at the hospital is required- usually a night prior to the surgery for the preparation. The total stay required in India is about 5-7 days.
When can I return to my routine activities?
Most patients return to routine activities the next day after the procedure itself.
Does gamma knife completely eradicate the brain tumor? What kind of results can I expect?
The majority of brain tumors selected for treatment will disappear or stop growing over time. After one year 40% of arteriovenous malformations are cured increasing to 80% two years after treatment.
When can I expect from gamma knife treatment? Can I see the results immediately?
The effects of the treatment usually occur over a period of time. This can range from a few days to a few months before you can see the final result of the treatment, depending upon the medical condition treated. Many lesions gradually dissolve and ultimately disappear over a period of time, while many simply exhibit no further growth.
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