By: Fabiola Grosshan
Submitted: 2010-07-05 01:39:27 | Word Count: 422
Opting for gamma knife treatment instead of conventional brain surgery offers patients many benefits, chief among them include safety, precision and the fact that there are no long recovery periods associated with gamma knife treatments. Thanks in great part to the development of its highly advanced computer technology, the gamma knife procedure remains the most effective form of acoustic neuroma radiosurgery and trigeminal neuralgia radiosurgery as well as one of the safest ways of dealing with benign brain tumors. To date, approximately half a million people have been successfully treated using gamma knife surgery, with no reports of death or serious complications.
The Advantages of a Non-invasive Surgery
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The gamma knife is a non-invasive surgical instrument that uses highly focused beams of radiation rather than scalpels to treat brain tumors and other disorders. The advanced technology of the gamma knife procedure enables doctors to aim over 200 precise beams of radiation directly to the target area without affecting surrounding healthy brain tissue.
Since no incisions are made on the patient during gamma knife surgery, there is no pain induced and no complicated recovery period associated with the treatment. The success rate of the gamma knife treatment is truly unprecedented, with an average local control rate of brain tumors exceeding 85%. Part of what makes the procedure so effective is the comprehensive method through which the doctors in charge prepare for the surgery. A panel of neurosurgeons, nurses and radiation specialists conduct extensive tests to assess the condition of the patient and the disorder being treated. Data is gathered via advanced brain imaging methods and used to guide the gamma knife device.
High Precision Radiosurgery
The computer-aided planning allows for a high degree of precision. Thousands of radiation beams can be aimed with an accuracy of more than .5mm. On its own, each beam is too weak to affect the patient’s healthy brain tissue, but when they intersect at the desired target area, they combine to create an ultra fine radiation scalpel that avoids any damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Costs
Gamma knife treatments usually cost about half as much as conventional open surgery procedures. This makes them highly cost effective, especially considering that they are usually fully reimbursed by most insurance providers. Additionally, all costs associated with recovery care and post-surgery therapies are eliminated, as gamma knife procedures require little of either.
