The Gamma Knife is a treatment unit designed to deliver a highly conformal dose of radiation therapy to intracranial sites using 201 convergent beams emanating from cobalt-60 radiation sources. The Gamma Knife was invented by Drs. Leksell and Larson and the first clinical work was done in 1967 at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Since that time, tens of thousands of patients have been treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery and significant research has been done on the safe and effective application of stereotactic radiosurgery for the treatment of several intracranial conditions.

The “Knife” in Gamma Knife radiosurgery is a highly targeted radiation therapy beam that allows doctors to treat areas of the brain without using a scalpel to surgically enter the skull. The 201 convergent radiation therapy beams are collimated by 4 different sized helmets that can be attached to the Gamma Knife unit. The convergence of these multiple beams allows for the creation of a highly conformal treatment plan that limits dose to normal structures and maximizes dose to the target. Gamma Knife radiosurgery is usually an outpatient procedure.

The Gamma Knife uses a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of every patient. Your Gamma Knife team will typically consist of a neurosurgeon, radiation oncologist, physicist, and nurse working together to make your treatment as safe and effective as possible.

Significant advances in research, radiologic imaging, and treatment delivery continue to expand the uses of Gamma Knife radiosurgery in the treatment of intracranial conditions.