Gamma Knife is a non-invasive neurosurgery technique that delivers radiation to a precise point in the brain to treat abnormalities such as tumors or seizures. It is a painless and silent treatment that greatly reduces the risk of complications. The biggest risk is brain swelling, which can be treated with medication. Follow-up appointments are necessary to determine the effectiveness of the treatment.
A gamma knife is a piece of equipment used in non-invasive neurosurgery. Despite the name, a gamma knife is not a knife at all. Instead, it delivers radiation to a precise point within the brain with the aim of disrupting an abnormality such as a tumor or arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Gamma Knife surgery has also been used to treat some pain conditions and seizures by removing areas of the brain that are functioning abnormally.
This equipment is used in a technique known as stereotaxic radiosurgery. The Gamma Knife is capable of delivering over 200 beams of radiation that can be brought into focus on a point. A single beam causes no radiation damage, but the area where the rays converge has very high radiation that can damage cells, such as the cells that make up a tumor. In stereotactic radiosurgery, focused radiation is used to target one area while leaving the rest of the brain intact. Non-invasive surgical techniques greatly reduce the risk of complications such as infections.
The gamma knife was developed in the 1960s by Swedish doctors and is used all over the world today. When patients receive treatment with this device, they are first fitted with a head frame screwed to the skull. Then, the brain is imaged using medical imaging techniques. This data is entered into a computer and used for calculations that determine where the radiation beams should converge and how much radiation should be delivered. This can take several hours, during which the patient can rest in another area.
Afterwards, the patient is placed inside the machine. The head frame is used to keep the head perfectly still and to create a frame of reference to ensure that radiation is delivered to exactly the right spot. Only a single dose may be required to complete the treatment with the gamma Knife and the treatment is painless and silent. Many patients are able to go home the same day and begin follow-up care for the condition that landed them in the neurosurgery suite.
The biggest risk of gamma knife surgery is brain swelling, which can be treated with medications to prevent inflammation. It can take weeks for the radiation to do its job, as damaged cells will fail to propagate, allowing the area of the anomaly to shrink. Patients receiving stereotactic radiosurgery are typically directed to attend a series of follow-up appointments which can be used to determine whether or not the surgery was effective and what additional steps, if any, should be taken to ensure the treatment is successful.
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