Safety
Gamma Knife is an alternative to traditional brain surgery and whole brain radiation therapy for the treatment of complex, difficult brain conditions. Leading centres around the world choose Gamma Knife for its accuracy and documented outcomes.
Designed specifically for the brain, Gamma Knife radiosurgery replaces the surgeon’s scalpel with multiple narrow beams of radiation targeted to a specific area.
Contrary to its name, there is no knife. No incisions are involved in this proven procedure. Patients are typically in and out of the hospital in a single day and can usually go back to their normal routines the next day.
Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery is designed to treat conditions of the brain (pathologies), both benign and malignant.
Gamma Knife surgery is often a preferred treatment option for the following reasons:
01.
It is a safer alternative to standard invasive brain surgery (neurosurgery), which requires incisions in the scalp, an opening in the skull and membranes surrounding the brain, and dissection into brain tissue.
02.
Does not usually need hospitalization which can be costly and has the usual risks associated with hospital care.
03.
It is the procedure of choice when a brain lesion or abnormality is too hard to reach with standard neurosurgery.
04.
As well as not needing to undergo risky, open-skull procedures, general anaesthesia is not required (in adult patients).
05.
Because there are no incisions complications are reduced. These include:
- Bleeding
- Infection or
- Cerebrospinal fluid leakage.
06.
It is a proven alternative for patients who need to avoid open surgery and who are not healthy enough to undergo conventional surgery.
07.
It is also used to prevent tumour regrowth in patients who have undergone traditional neurosurgery.
Paediatric solution
Avoiding unnecessary radiation is important for children who are more at risk than adults for the late effects from radiation. Children treated with the Gamma Knife will have a reduced likelihood of developing late radiation effects than those treated by other radiation systems.
How is safety ensured?
- Because placement accuracy of the beams is critical to localization of the radiation (to a fraction of a millimetre), anything that would degrade this precision is unacceptable. Sub-millimetre accuracy is ensured with Leksell Gamma Knife.
- Positioning of the patient and keeping them in this position during treatment using a system of a ridging frame or mask is important to ensure that beams are on target.
- As is true of all radiation therapy procedures, correct selection and calculation of the amount of radiation to deliver are essential.
- A qualified medical physicist assures that the imaging, accuracy in dose delivery and treatment planning computers and software are correct and acceptable.
- The mechanical functions of the machine are tested on a regular basis to ensure the safety of patients and medical staff.
Information courtesy of https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info/gamma_knife
