How the Gamma Knife Works

The Gamma Knife's 'blades' are actually 201 pencil-thin beams of radiation, rather than steel. These beams work together to perform surgery that is bloodless and woundless and without the uncomfortable side-effects that ordinarily accompany a course of radiation or chemotherapy.

The patient's head is partially surrounded by a helmet that has 201 ports or openings, through which gamma rays are concentrated. Each individual beam passes harmlessly through the patient's skull and healthy brain tissue. Only at the point where the beams intersect -- at the location of the tumor or abnormality -- is a therapeutic dose of radiation delivered. If the tumor is large, several pinpoint doses are delivered sequentially during a single session.

An Exceptional Team

"Our program represents an enormous investment in the quality of neurosurgical care," says Bernadine Donahue, MD, radiation oncologist. "In addition to the radiation and imaging hardware, a multidisciplinary group of experts collaborate in the care of each Gamma Knife patient. The neurosurgeon provides the expertise on surgical alternatives and neuroanatomy, and attaches the frame to the patient's skull; the radiation oncologist contributes expertise on the optimal dosing strategy; and the neuroradiologist provides expert interpretation of the MRI. In addition, a medical physicist assists in planning the treatment and monitoring quality."

Although complications are very unlikely, patients are immediately placed under constant observation in a specialized nursing unit, and a fully equipped neurosurgical team is always available at a moment's notice.