Gamma Knife® Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) is a noninvasive, same-day procedure to treat cancerous and noncancerous tumors of the brain and skull base, as well as other neurological disorders, while preserving healthy brain tissue. An alternative to traditional “open” brain surgery or whole-brain radiation, Gamma Knife provides accurate, radiation treatment for single or multiple brain lesions and brain disorders — with no incision and little to no side effects.
How does Gamma Knife SRS work?
Gamma Knife SRS uses precisely targeted high-dose radiation beams to treat brain and skull base tumors, as well as other brain disorders including arteriovenous malformation, essential tremor and trigeminal neuralgia.
Treatment steps include:
- Fitting for a customized, lightweight head frame, if required. The head frame ensures that the radiation beams target the precise treatment area and help to keep the head still during the procedure.
- Hackensack Meridian Health also offers frameless Gamma Knife treatment - which does not require the use of a head frame - for select patients.
- Imaging using MRI or CT technology. Imaging scans determine the exact size, shape and position of the treatment area.
- Personalized treatment planning. Your physician will develop a treatment plan using a specially designed computer that calculates the best way to deliver the radiation treatment.
- Automated, painless treatment. The fully awake patient reclines on a moveable treatment table while the machine rotates to deliver radiation from various positions.
- Return to normal routines. Although some patients will need to stay overnight for observation, most can go home immediately and experience only minor side effects, if any.
What are the benefits of Gamma Knife?
The main benefit of Gamma Knife is that it can be a safer alternative to traditional “open” brain surgery or whole-brain radiation, which come with a higher risk of side effects or complications. Other benefits include:
- Noninvasive. No incisions are necessary, meaning that patients do not require general anesthesia and are not at risk of hemorrhage, infection, or other complications that can occur during open brain surgery.
- Enhanced efficiency. Unlike traditional radiation treatments, patients who receive Gamma Knife SRS typically require only one outpatient treatment. Exclusively used for treatment of the brain. Gamma Knife is the only SRS system specifically designed and optimized to treat brain lesions and disorders.
- Unparalleled accuracy. The Gamma Knife radiation beams conform to the shape of the lesion, delivering high-dose treatment with sub-millimeter accuracy.
- Fewer side effects. Gamma Knife’s precision spares healthy brain tissue from radiation exposure, reducing the risks of side effects. Many patients experience only mild side effects, or no side effects at all.
Commonly treated conditions include:
- Acoustic neuroma
- Arteriovenous malformation (AVM)
- Brain metastases
- Essential tremor
- Glioblastoma
- Meningioma
- Pituitary adenoma
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Vestibular schwannoma
Locations
JFK University Medical Center 65 James Street Edison, NJ 08820 732-321-7540
Hackensack University Medical Center 30 Prospect Avenue Hackensack, NJ 07601 551-996-2000