Leksell Gamma Knife® Model C
- Who can benefit from the surgery?
The treatment can benefit patients with:
- Malignant or benign brain tumors
- Acoustic Neuromas Pituitary tumors
- Meningiomas Abnormal blood vessels in the brain ( arteriovenous malformations )
- Parkinson's disease
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- How does it work?
- Through advanced imaging and three-dimensional planning techniques, Gamma Knife Radiosurgery delivers multiple, very narrow beams of gamma radiation to small targets inside the brain. It does so by sending radiation beams through 201 holes in a device known as a collimator helmet. Only at the point where all 201 beams converge at a single, finely focused point is enough radiation delivered to treat the diseased tissue while nearby healthy tissue is spared.
- What is the advantage to the patient?
- The Radiosurgery is non-invasive. There is no incision or surgery. There is a short recovery time. About half of these procedures are done on an outpatient basis, requiring approximately 10-12 hours for the procedure and recovery. If patients do need to be admitted, the hospital stay is generally only one day. The procedure is extremely precise. The radiation is focused on the "bad tissue" and spares surrounding "good tissue." There is minimal risk to the patient of post-treatment complications. It allows previously untreatable conditions to be successfully treated. There is a high cure rate. It is painless, and patients can return to regular daily living generally within a couple of days.
- Is it safe?
- Gamma Knife Radiosurgery is unique because no surgical incision is performed to "expose" the lesion. Thus, the risk of surgical complication is greatly reduced. Patients are routinely administered a mild sedative, eliminating the side effects of general anesthesia.
- Is it cost effective?
- Cost studies have shown that when compared to conventional neurosurgery, the Gamma Knife is much less expensive. It eliminates lengthy post-surgical hospital stays and expensive medication. In addition, there are virtually no post-surgical disability and convalescent costs with this procedure.
- How unique is it?
- The technology has been around for about 25 years, but widespread acceptance and use of the Gamma Knife has occurred mainly in the past 12 years. At the end of 1998, there were only 48 units in the United States and 112 worldwide. Saint Joseph's Hospital will have the first unit in Wisconsin. Even though it is unique, it is not experimental. More than 80,000 procedures have been performed worldwide as of 1998.
- Where can I get more information?
- Call Radiation/Oncology at 877.GAMMAWI ( 877.426.6294 ) or 715.387.7637. Ask for Deb Walsh or Joan Priem. You can also email us at: sjhweb@stjosephs-marshfield.org