Stereotactic radiosurgery
Alternative Names: Gamma knife; Cyberknife; Stereotactic radiotherapy; SRT; Stereotactic body radiotherapy; SBRT; Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy; Cyclotrons; Linear accelerator; Linacs; Proton beam radiosurgery
Stereotactic radiosurgery is a form of radiation therapy that focuses high-powered x-rays on a small area of the body. Other types of radiation therapy can affect nearby healthy tissue, Stereotactic radiosurgery better targets the abnormal area.
Despite its name, radiosurgery is a treatment, not a surgical procedure.
Description of Procedure
Some types of stereotactic radiosurgery require a specially fitted face mask or a frame attached to your scalp. This may be done using small pins or anchors that go through your skin, to the surface of your skull or bone.
During your treatment, you will lie on a table, which slides into a machine that delivers radiation beams. The machine may spin around you while it works. The nurses and doctors will be able to see you on cameras, and hear you and talk with you on microphones.
The radiation usually takes only about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Some patients may receive more than one treatment session, but usually no more than five sessions.
Risks of Stereotactic radiosurgery
Radiosurgery may damage tissue around the area being treated. Brain swelling may occur in people who received treatment to the brain. Swelling can go away without treatment, but some people may need medicine to control this swelling.
Learn more about Stereotactic radiosurgery
Reviewed By: Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and Department of Anatomy at UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Copyright 2011 A.D.A.M., Inc.
