WHAT TO EXPECT

What to Expect on the Day of Treatment

• Frame Placement (less than 10 minutes) - A lightweight frame is placed on the patient's head using local anesthesia and mild sedation. The frame acts as a guide for treatment positioning and ensures the most accurate treatment delivery possible.
  
  
• Imaging - The patient will undergo an MRI or CT or cerebral angiogram. The images help your doctor locate the targets to treat.
  
  
• Treatment Planning - During treatment planning the neurosurgeon and physicist use sophisticated computer software to define the treatment areas and determine radiation doses. The radiosurgical plan conforms treatment to the exact geometry of each patient's tumor or abnormality, minimizing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue and maximizing damage to abnormal tissue.
  
  
• Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Treatment - Lying comfortably on the treatment couch, an exact treatment dosage is carefully administered. The Gamma Knife Team communicate with the patient directly via video and audio link. The patient will not feel, see or hear anything unusual. Treatment time varies from a few minutes to several hours and is individualized for each patient.
  
  
• After Treatment - Following the procedure, the frame is removed, and after a brief observation period most patients are free to leave the hospital. Patients may experience a mild headache.