What is stereotactic radiosurgery?
stereotactic radiosurgery is a medical procedure used to treat brain tumors as well as other brain abnormalities. Stereotactic radiosurgery is not really a type of surgery; It is a type of radiation therapy that includes the supply of high -dose radiation. This radiation is very specifically focused on a brain tumor or other abnormality. This procedure is the preferred alternative to open surgery because it is much less invasive and avoids possible complications of brain surgery. In addition, the progress can treat defects in blood vessels and functional brain disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia that causes serious trigeminal nerve pain. In the future, this procedure may also be useful for the treatment of brain disorders such as Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. This Tool is used to focus approximately 200 rays of gamma rays in the target area of the brain. Gamma Knife® focuses the rays of radiation to the target area in three dimensions, allowing the use of highlyEnergy radiation, which is so specifically targeted that it leaves the surrounding areas of healthy tissue almost completely untouched. This equipment is operated by a radiation therapist, usually using a neurosurgeon or oncologist.
As with other types of radiation therapy, the aim of stereotactic radiosurgery is to reduce the tumor rather than remove it as in real surgery. Radiation therapy damages DNA of tumor cells, causing cells to stop reproducing. Finally, the tumor begins to shrink. In most cases, malignant tumors decrease faster than benign tumors; The malignant brain tumor may decrease within a few months, while the benign tumor can reduce the years.
stereotactic radiosurgery is an outpatient procedure that generally requires a hospital stay for about twelve hours. The whole procedure includes scan MRI and CT scan to determine the accurate location and size of the tumor, usiciced by radiation treatment. During treatment, the patient wears the aluminum head frame, which ensures that the head is kept immobile and that the radiation is precisely focused on the tumor. The stereotactic Gamma Knife® procedure is completely painless and lasts between one and four hours.
After the procedure, the head frame is removed and the patient may have a rest period before leaving the hospital. Smaller headache is normal after this procedure and painkillers can be mastered. Over the next few weeks, certain side effects are likely to be experienced. These include dry, itchy, sensitive skin at the site of treatment, hair loss in the field of treatment and fatigue. Other possible short side effects are food problems, swallowing or digestion, headaches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.