Gamma Knife Technology

Gamma knife surgery also known as stereotacticKnife. Around 202 doses of gamma radiations come
radio surgery is used for treating brain disorders suchtogether at the target area, sufficient enough to
as brain tumors and Arteriovenous malformations.destroy the malignant and benign brain tumors!
This surgery is a form of non-invasive treatment forThe gamma rays can be used to treat any part of
patients who cannot undergo traditional brain surgery.the brain and hence this technology is quite useful for
This technology was originally developed by Swedishtargeting the base or lower portions of the brain-
neurosurgeon, Lars Leskell in 1967 at the Karolinskawhich cannot be achieved by the conventional open
Institute in Sweden.surgery! Moreover, the knife combines data from
The gamma device contains around 201 cobalt-60three-dimensional computer imaging studies and
sources of approximately 30 curies, placed in ahence is a very well-defined, low-risk and cost
heavily shielded assembly in a circular manner. Theeffective alternative. This technology is quite cheap
device emits out radiation through a target point inas compared to long hospitalization, antibiotic therapy
the brain of the patient. The victims are supposed toand the rehabilitation processes.
wear a specialized helmet (that is fixed surgically toThe word "gamma knife" is actually an illusion,
their brains) so that the brain tumor remainsbecause it contains no blade and makes no incision,
stationary to the direction of rays. There is almost noand is a sophisticated/dedicative instrument for curing
effect on the surrounding areas of the tissue andbrain tumors. Till date, more than 150,000 patients
most of the patients return home within an hour ofhave been treated worldwide and no mortality has
the operation.been reported till yet! Even though this technology
After attaching the frame, the patient receives a CT,has been in use for over three decades, yet it has
MRI, or angiographic scan. The data recordedballooned in the last five years. The number of
thereafter is transferred to the state-of-art planningLeksell centers has increased by almost 175 percent
computer, thereby enabling the treatment team toin U.S and the number of patients cured by
tailor the radiation dose for conforming specifically toapproximately 250 percent.
the lesion volume. After the completion of theSo, you can see that the Gamma Knife technology is
treatment plan, the patient is placed on the knifereally effective and has saved thousands of lives all
couch and a collimator helmet is placed over the headover the world. If technologies like this continue to
of the patient. Then, the patient is treated with thegrow, then soon we'll have a world free of diseases!
201 sources of Cobalt 60 housed in the Gamma