Gamma knife treatment is a form of stereotactic radiosurgery. It provides a noninvasive, outpatient treatment option to patients with brain conditions that would typically require surgery or whole brain radiation, such as noncancerous and cancerous tumors (including brain metastases, or cancerous tumors that have spread to the brain from other parts of the body), blood vessel abnormalities and nerve problems. Depending on the condition being treated, it may be used either as a primary treatment or in combination with surgery.
The safety and effectiveness of the Gamma Knife have been proven in thousands of studies since its inception in 1968.
Treatment with a gamma knife isn’t surgery in the traditional sense of the word—there are no incisions, knives or scalpels involved. Rather, the “knife” refers to 192 precise beams of radiation that converge at the treatment site and create a powerful dose of concentrated radiation that attacks tumors and abnormalities, shrinking them over time or stopping their growth.
The result? A very targeted approach with minimal—if any—complications or damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
While there are several technology options for performing radiosurgery, The Valley Hospital has brought on board the latest: the Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion system.
The Gamma Knife Perfexion, normally found only in university hospital settings, is dedicated to treating problems of the brain, which allows it to offer more refined treatment than other systems. “The outcomes are the best, and it’s the fastest and most accurate machine for treating multiple metastases,” says Anthony D’Ambrosio, M.D., Co-Director of The Gamma Knife Center at The Valley Hospital. “To accurately treat the brain, you need the Gamma Knife.”
For more information about the Gamma Knife, consultations or second opinions, call The Gamma Knife Center’s Nurse Navigator at 201-634-5677 or submit this form.
The Gamma Knife Center was made possible thanks to the generous philanthropic support of Valley donors.
QUESTIONS?
Call our Nurse Navigator at 201-634-5677 or click below to email her.