What is the radiosurgery of gamma knife?

Radiosurgery of gamma knife is a form of stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) used as a non -invasive treatment for various brain conditions. During this treatment, about 200 rays of radiation are focused on points surrounding the head to conversion to one predetermined location inside the brain. Each beam carries a small amount of radiation of the brain and minimizes damage to the surrounding healthy tissue and creates a concentrated source of radiation at a point where all rays are closer. This surgery has many advantages over traditional brain surgery and has limited side effects. The magnetic resonant image with the head with the frame in place is then taken to calibrate the frame position in relation to the radiation target. The patient is then transported to the radiosurger gamma knives clinic, where doctors and often physicist work on preparing the therapeutic protocol. The medical procedure usually lasts up to one hour and only one treatment is often required. After treatment, the frame is removed and the patient can either allow to go home or maintained overnight for observation.

Many conditions can be treated with radiosurgery of gamma knife. Benign and malignant brain tumors are destroyed by this technique by damage to deoxyribonucleic acid tumor cells (DNA), which prevents tumor growth and gradually causes it to reduce. Arteriovenous malformations are characterized by irregular cortical arteries and veins that produce abnormal bleeding, seizures and headaches. This is released by using gamma gamma radiosurgery to thicken the walls of abnormal blood vessels until they are blocked. Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition where nerves in the brain send signals of pain to the face area and are eliminated by SRT to destroy these nerves.

There are several advantages for radiosurgery of gamma knife during standard brain surgery. Traditional brain surgery requires the opening of the skull, gaining access to and accurately localizing the damaged area inside homogeneous brain tissue, treatment of the problem without postthe goat of the surrounding areas and the restoration of the bone of the skull. The risk beyond the peripheral, infection and long -term residence in the hospital is this type of surgery risky and costly. Radiosurgery of gamma knife focuses exactly on a damaged area or tumor, minimizes or completely eliminates the risk of peripheral damage, significantly reduces any risk of infection, does not last longer than one hour, usually needs only one treatment and either requires no stay in the hospital or one night in the hospital.

Despite many advantages, there are several side effects in this form of treatment. The most serious effect S is swelling of brain tissue near therapeutic point, causing nausea, vomiting and headache. Feeling abnormally tired is a common side effect of most treatments. The pain or irritation of the scalp where the frame was anchored to the head is also common. Short -term hair loss can also occur, but it is rare.