yulius hermanto
Gamma Knife: An Option for Brain Tumours
Science and technology develop from time to time, they help us to improve our life. In health care, aim of the technology development is for improving disease management whether in part diagnosis or therapy.
One of the innovation in health care is Gamma Knife surgery. Terms of Knife and surgery maybe not appropriate at all since it actually knifeless and no skin incision. Instead of skin incision or knife, gamma knife uses high-energy of ionizing radiation to the tissue.
Gamma Knife Usage
Since its development in 1950's, Gamma Knife has improved from time to time, and Nowadays it is recognized worldwide as the preferred treatment for brain tumors, arteriovenous malformations and brain dysfunctions such as trigeminal neuralgia. Those findings are well supported by over 2,500 peer reviewed research articles that are primarily published in neurosurgery journals.
The Gamma Knife offers a non-invasive solution for many patients for whom traditional brain surgery is not an option, because Gamma Knife surgery doesn't requires incision and the majority of risks associated with conventional surgery. Gamma Knife procedure often done in single session in an outpatient surgical setting with periodic follow-up, but it may also require an overnight hospital stay in certain condition. It has been proven safe over the long term and is recognized and covered by insurance plans.
Gamma Knife surgery represents a major advance in brain surgery, and in the last three decades has changed the landscape within the field of neurosurgery. Its development has enhanced neurosurgical treatments offered to patients with brain tumors and vascular malformations by providing a safe, accurate and reliable treatment option. Gamma Knife enables patients to undergo a non-invasive form of brain surgery without surgical risks, a long hospital stay or subsequent rehabilitation.
Conditions for which the Gamma Knife is considered most effective are:
- Intracranial tumors such as acoustic neuromas, pituitary adenomas, pinealomas, craniopharyngiomas, meningiomas, chordomas, chondrosarcomas, metastases and glial tumors.
- Vascular malformations including arteriovenous malformations.
- Functional disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Evidence-based research has shown Gamma Knife to be effective for trigeminal neuralgia. In addition to the above mentioned indications, functional disorders such as intractable pain, Parkinson's disease, essential tremors and epilepsy are often treated with Gamma Knife.
The Unique of Gamma Knife
Like conventional neurosurgery, Gamma Knife needs preoperative examinations and preparation before the procedure. Based on preoperative radiological examinations, such as CT scans, MR scans and angiography, the unit provides highly accurate irradiation of deep-seated targets, using a multitude of collimated beams of ionizing radiation with scalpel-like precision.
Like other radiosurgery, Gamma Knife surgery is unique in that no surgical incision is made to expose the inside of the brain, thereby reducing the risk of surgical complications and eliminating the side effects and dangers of general anesthesia. The "blades" of the Gamma Knife are the beams of gamma radiation programmed to target the lesion at the point where they intersect. In a single treatment session, 201 beams of gamma radiation focus precisely on the lesion. Over time, most lesions slowly decrease in size and dissolve. The exposure is brief and only the tissue being treated receives a significant radiation dose, while the surrounding tissue remains unharmed.
Radiosurgery can be especially useful for those patients who are not suitable for standard surgical techniques due to illness or advanced age. In many neurosurgical cases, the Gamma Knife® is the only feasible treatment.
The Gamma Knife technology can be used to treat those who do not require immediate surgical relief of disabling symptoms and those whose tumors are, in general, 4-5 cm or less.
The Advantages of Gamma Knife:
- Gamma Knife® is a neurosurgical tool designed exclusively for the treatment of brain disorders.
- The lesion being treated receives a high dose of radiation with minimum risk to nearby tissue and structures.
- The cost of procedure is often 25% to 30% less than traditional neurosurgery
- The absence of an incision eliminates the risk of hemorrhage and infection
- Hospitalization is short, typically an overnight stay or an outpatient surgical procedure. Patients can immediately resume their previous activities.
- Gamma Knife technology allows treatment of inoperable lesions. The procedure offers hope to patients who were formerly considered untreatable or at very high risk during open skull surgery.
One of the innovation in health care is Gamma Knife surgery. Terms of Knife and surgery maybe not appropriate at all since it actually knifeless and no skin incision. Instead of skin incision or knife, gamma knife uses high-energy of ionizing radiation to the tissue.
Gamma Knife Usage
Since its development in 1950's, Gamma Knife has improved from time to time, and Nowadays it is recognized worldwide as the preferred treatment for brain tumors, arteriovenous malformations and brain dysfunctions such as trigeminal neuralgia. Those findings are well supported by over 2,500 peer reviewed research articles that are primarily published in neurosurgery journals.
The Gamma Knife offers a non-invasive solution for many patients for whom traditional brain surgery is not an option, because Gamma Knife surgery doesn't requires incision and the majority of risks associated with conventional surgery. Gamma Knife procedure often done in single session in an outpatient surgical setting with periodic follow-up, but it may also require an overnight hospital stay in certain condition. It has been proven safe over the long term and is recognized and covered by insurance plans.
Gamma Knife surgery represents a major advance in brain surgery, and in the last three decades has changed the landscape within the field of neurosurgery. Its development has enhanced neurosurgical treatments offered to patients with brain tumors and vascular malformations by providing a safe, accurate and reliable treatment option. Gamma Knife enables patients to undergo a non-invasive form of brain surgery without surgical risks, a long hospital stay or subsequent rehabilitation.
Conditions for which the Gamma Knife is considered most effective are:
- Intracranial tumors such as acoustic neuromas, pituitary adenomas, pinealomas, craniopharyngiomas, meningiomas, chordomas, chondrosarcomas, metastases and glial tumors.
- Vascular malformations including arteriovenous malformations.
- Functional disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Evidence-based research has shown Gamma Knife to be effective for trigeminal neuralgia. In addition to the above mentioned indications, functional disorders such as intractable pain, Parkinson's disease, essential tremors and epilepsy are often treated with Gamma Knife.
The Unique of Gamma Knife
Like conventional neurosurgery, Gamma Knife needs preoperative examinations and preparation before the procedure. Based on preoperative radiological examinations, such as CT scans, MR scans and angiography, the unit provides highly accurate irradiation of deep-seated targets, using a multitude of collimated beams of ionizing radiation with scalpel-like precision.
Like other radiosurgery, Gamma Knife surgery is unique in that no surgical incision is made to expose the inside of the brain, thereby reducing the risk of surgical complications and eliminating the side effects and dangers of general anesthesia. The "blades" of the Gamma Knife are the beams of gamma radiation programmed to target the lesion at the point where they intersect. In a single treatment session, 201 beams of gamma radiation focus precisely on the lesion. Over time, most lesions slowly decrease in size and dissolve. The exposure is brief and only the tissue being treated receives a significant radiation dose, while the surrounding tissue remains unharmed.
Radiosurgery can be especially useful for those patients who are not suitable for standard surgical techniques due to illness or advanced age. In many neurosurgical cases, the Gamma Knife® is the only feasible treatment.
The Gamma Knife technology can be used to treat those who do not require immediate surgical relief of disabling symptoms and those whose tumors are, in general, 4-5 cm or less.
The Advantages of Gamma Knife:
- Gamma Knife® is a neurosurgical tool designed exclusively for the treatment of brain disorders.
- The lesion being treated receives a high dose of radiation with minimum risk to nearby tissue and structures.
- The cost of procedure is often 25% to 30% less than traditional neurosurgery
- The absence of an incision eliminates the risk of hemorrhage and infection
- Hospitalization is short, typically an overnight stay or an outpatient surgical procedure. Patients can immediately resume their previous activities.
- Gamma Knife technology allows treatment of inoperable lesions. The procedure offers hope to patients who were formerly considered untreatable or at very high risk during open skull surgery.
