Is stereotactic radiosurgery done with Gamma Knife?

Stereotactic radiosurgery, or SRS, is focused radiation planned to treat a defined target. Gamma Knife is a specialised system that directs many small radiation beams toward a common focus. The beams are arranged so the target receives the planned treatment while nearby tissue receives less radiation. Although it is called radiosurgery, there is no surgical incision.

Gamma Knife is commonly considered for targets in the head, but the decision depends on the target's location, size, shape, proximity to sensitive structures, symptoms, and previous treatment. Some plans use one visit, while others divide treatment into several visits. Scans and a positioning device help the team reproduce the planned focus.

Ask whether you will use a head frame or a customised mask and how the team will keep your position aligned. Tell the team about blood thinners, implanted devices, allergies, previous radiation, and difficulty lying still. Confirm whether you need a planning scan, how long you may be at the centre, and when you can eat, drive, or return to normal activities.

Before leaving, make sure you know how to care for any positioning-site tenderness and which medicines to take. Keep the oncology team's contact details available after treatment.

Report worsening headache, repeated vomiting, new weakness, changes in speech or vision, confusion, fever, or increasing redness or pain at a positioning site. Seek urgent help for a seizure, sudden neurological change, severe breathing difficulty, or fainting. The team can explain which changes are expected for the treated area and which need immediate assessment.

Why is Gamma Knife appropriate for my target? How will the treatment protect nearby nerves and other sensitive structures? Will I need a frame or mask? What follow-up scans are planned, and what symptoms should prompt an urgent call?