What can the Gamma Knife treat?
Brain Cancers and Tumors:
Brain metastases
Chordoma
Craniopharyngioma
Glioma
Hemangioblastoma
Meningioma
Pineal tumors
Pituitary adenoma

Vascular Disorders:
Arteriovenous malformations (AVM)
Arteriovenous fistulas (AVF)
Cavernomas

Functional Disorders:
Trigeminal neuralgia

Will I experience any pain during the procedure?
The Gamma Knife is the "gold standard" in the treatment of lesions in the brain by a noninvasive surgical technique called stereotatic radiosurgery.  It is a safe, precise, bloodless procedure.  The Gamma Knife uses 201 beams of highly focused gamma rays.  The beams are precisely aimed so as to treat only the target (tumor, trigeminal nerve, etc.) with minimal risk to adjacent brain structures.

How many Gamma Knife Surgeries have been performed?
More than 300,000 patients were treated by Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, somewhere in the world, by the end of 2005. More than 30,000 patients are now treated yearly by Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.

How long will my Gamma Knife Treatment take?
A typical treatment will takes approximately 4 hours to complete.  During this time you will feel no pain and you will be able to listen to your favorite music while the treatment is being performed.

What is Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)?
Stereotactic Radiosurgery treats brain disorders by delivering a single high dose of radiation in a one-day session. Treatment involves the use of focused radiation beams delivered to a specific area of the brain to treat abnormalities, tumors or other functional disorders. 

When was the first Leksell Gamma Knife® installed?

Leksell Gamma Knife® is a Swedish invention. In 1968 the first Leksell Gamma Knife® was installed at the private hospital Sophiahemmet in Stockholm, Sweden. The first in the U.S. was installed in 1987 in Pittsburgh.

Why is it called surgery?

Radiosurgery (one-session treatment) has such a dramatic and precise effect in the target zone that the changes are considered ‘surgical’. Through the use of three-dimensional computer-aided planning and the high degree of immobilization of the patient, the treatment can minimize the amount of radiation to surrounding healthy brain tissue. Gamma Knife® precision is submillimeter. Stereotactic radiosurgery is routinely used for brain tumors and lesions. It may be the primary treatment; utilized where a tumor is inaccessible by surgical means; or as a boost or adjunct to other treatments with a recurring or malignant tumor.

Are there any side effects after Gamma Knife® surgery?

Patients may experience side effects, but they are often very mild. Headache, dizziness, or nausea may be experienced immediately after the treatment, but the effects generally disappear soon after the procedure.  Brain swelling or seizures can often be treated effectively with medication.

What about the radiation risk?

The dose of radiation is extremely focused to the target in the brain and the dose outside the target is very low.

Who determines if radiosurgery is appropriate?