The treatment is not experimental. The Gamma Knife has been in use for over thirty
years,
having treated more than 100,000 patients worldwide with no mortality and minimal
morbidity reported. Backed by two decades of preclinical research, no other neurosurgical
tool has met with such impressive results. Clinical applications continue to grow, and its
many benefits as a non-invasive treatment modality continue to make it a treatment of
choice.
Indications at present include:
Benign tumors such as meningiomas, acoustic tumors, and pituitary adenomas
Movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and essential tremor
The Gamma Knife is also being used as an investigational tool for certain forms of
epilepsy and psychiatric disorders
Candidates for Gamma Knife Treatment
Neoplastic and vascular disorders account for the majority of radiosurgical procedures today. When these disorders occur in the brain, the Gamma Knife is an valuable treatment option. The Gamma Knife is effective in controlling tumor growth and hemorrhaging from vascular malformations and targets lesions so exactly that the risk of harming healthy tissue is minimized. In certain cases, Gamma Knife treatment may serve as an adjunct to standard neurosurgical therapy or as the preferred course of treatment when further traditional therapy is not recommended.
Gamma Knife treatment is often the preferred alternative for patients who are not candidates for conventional neurosurgery or radiation therapy. It also may be recommended as an additional therapy for individuals who have already undergone surgery or radiation and require further treatment.
The Gamma Knife may also be recommended for patients with the following conditions:
• Tumors or vascular malformations that are surgically inaccessible
• Risk factors that make surgery inadvisable
• Need for an additional dose of radiation following conventional radiation therapy
• Recurrent tumors
• Facial pain
Our multidisciplinary team (including neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, radiation physicists, neuroradiologists, oncologists, neurologists, nurses and radiation therapists) evaluates each patient to determine whether Gamma Knife treatment is the best option. The patient's medical history is reviewed, along with imaging studies and information provided by the patient's physician. If Gamma Knife treatment is not considered appropriate, the team will suggest an alternate treatment option.
To make an appointment for a consultation
call the Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Center at: 501/603-1800. Or Call the UAMS Access Center at: 501/686-8000, Or E-mail:baxterrhoadeskarenl@uams.edu
