Stereotactic Surgery is a highly precise form of radiation therapy used for treating tumors and other brain diseases. It is an advanced treatment procedure that is performed without marking an incision on the brain tissue. Gamma Knife is completely a non-invasive technique and provides doctors to operate on the brain lesions without giving any incisions.
The treatment procedure comprises a machine that directs the gamma radiations to a focused area of a brain and destroys the diseased tissue without affecting the healthy tissue. 192 highly precise beams of gamma radiations are directed through a protective helmet to destroy only the diseased tissue.
Who should have Gamma Knife Surgery?
Gamma Knife is effective in treating a wide range of brain abnormalities. Gamma Knife has proved to be an effective treatment for patients who have abnormal Arteriovenous Malformations, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Tumors, and Parkinson's Disease.
Conditions such as AVM in which there are abnormal tangles of blood vessels in the brain can bleed causing seizures and hemorrhagic stroke, the surgery is highly effective. Also, the condition called Trigeminal neuralgia in which there occurs pain around the cranial nerves near the base of the brain. This pain tends to radiate out to pressure points in the face making the condition unbearable for some patients. In such conditions the surgery proves to be very relieving.
Evidence has shown that it can stop tumors from growing in 90 percent of cases. It also helps tumors to shrink in the majority of the cases. Benign tumors such as acoustic neuromas and malignant tumors that have spread can also be effectively treated.
The Treatment Procedure
Precisely, the treatment procedure involves the following steps:
- Application of the Stereotactic frame
- Image acquisition
- Planning of the dosage and
- Radiation delivery
The key component in a gamma Knife Surgery is a Stereotactic Head Frame which is a tool that allows the physician to locate the tumor or diseased tissue and perform treatment on the same. The Headframe is attached to the patient's head with screws so as to ensure that the radiation beams are targeted precisely. It also prevents any unwanted movements of the head during the treatment procedure so that only the targeted brain areas receive radiations.
After the head frame is in place, the tumor, brain lesion or abnormality is examined by CT or MRI to precisely locate its location, size, and shape. An angiogram may also be required for treating a blood vessel abnormality. The markers on the head frame and the images taken help the physician to plan out the treatment procedure for the lesion. On completion of the treatment plan, the patient is laid down on the treatment table with the head frame attached to the helmet. The gamma rays are irradiated and the abnormal tissue is damaged saving the surrounding healthy tissues.
The Increased Survival Rate with Gamma Knife
Initially considered to be a palliative treatment procedure, which was supposed to improve the symptoms only, Gamma Knife has actually proved to be effective in improving survival rates among the patients. There has been evidence which prove that patients treated with Gamma Knife survive for years.
Advantages of Gamma Knife Surgery
- More accurate treatment
- Faster treatment and time
- Greater patient comfort
- The lesion being treated receives a high dose of radiation with minimum risk to nearby tissue and structures.
- No anesthesia
- Surgery without an incision
- Lower costs than conventional brain surgery
- Minimal discomfort
- The ability to resume normal activities sooner
- The absence of an incision eliminates the risk of hemorrhage and infection.
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