How Does the Gamma Knife Work?
The Gamma Knife delivers 192 beams of extremely
focused radiation to a precise target in the
brain. Individually, the beams are too weak to
damage healthy tissue. Together, they converge
to deliver powerful treatment to a single point.
Advantages of Gamma Knife® Perfexion™: |
- A complete redesign of previous Gamma Knife units
- Expanded reach for treatment of metastasis anywhere in the brain
- Ability to treat multiple locations in a single session
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To establish the target for the radiation, a
team of physicians creates detailed maps of the
brain using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
computed tomography (CT), or angiography imaging.
They then determine the precise amount of radiation
needed to treat the disease.
The radiation doesn't remove the diseased tissue;
rather, it damages the individual abnormal cells.
Brain tumor cells lose their ability to multiply
and blood vessel malformations close off, and
they eventually stop growing and start to shrink.
To learn more about how the Gamma Knife works,
watch the online video.
Gamma Knife and Leksell Gamma
Knife are U.S. federally registered trademarks
of Elekta Instrument S.A., Geneva, Switzerland.
Photo credits: Susan Pardys, Elekta, Inc.
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