Leskell Gamma Knife Enables Surgery Without Making an Incision

For patients dealing with brain tumors, the only treatment for decades has been extremely risky, intricate, frightening surgery that would remove the tumor but possibly cause other problems in the meantime. But now many hospitals are beginning to replace the trauma and risk of brain surgery with a new treatment that is not only non-invasive but also painless, tremendously accurate, and highly successful. The Leskell Gamma Knife is not a knife at all, but rather a radiosurgery device that enables doctors to treat deeply embedded intracranial lesions and tumors without having to open the skull of a patient. The device works best for deep tumors about 3 to 4 centimeters in size, although larger tumors may still have to be treated with standard surgery or other methods.

Radiosurgery with the Gamma Knife offers tremendous technical accuracy with a much faster treatment and recovery time. The device delivers over 200 precisely targeted, intersecting beams of cobalt gamma radiation that all converge on a single point deep inside the brain, to painlessly "cut" through brain tumors, blood vessel malformations, and any other type of brain abnormality. Since there is no incision, there are none of the risks typically associated with traditional surgical methods such as infection and blood clots. A single treatment lasts only 15 to 40 minutes, with the patient lightly sedated but awake throughout the procedure. Any hospitalization required afterward is short—at most an overnight stay—but most patients are treated on an outpatient basis. The only residual effect may be a slight headache.

This leading edge technology is unusually revolutionary in that it enables doctors to reach down into even the deepest recesses of the brain to correct disorders that are not treatable with conventional surgery. When used to treat a tumor, the tumor stops growing and eventually shrinks or disappears entirely. Because the Gamma Knife is so accurate, a high dose of radiation can be delivered precisely to its target with minimal risk to nearby structures and tissues.

The safety and effectiveness of the Gamma Knife make it the optimal choice for doctors in treating a wide variety of brain disorders, particularly in patients with other health concerns such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. The Gamma Knife provides a successful alternative treatment for lesions that previously were unsuccessfully treated by conventional surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy, and it offers new hope for patients.