Gamma Knife Effective in Treating Epilepsy

The procedure does not remove cells like traditional surgery or have the same risks. It also offers a shorter recovery period and far fewer side effects, such as hemorrhage, infection, and pain.

The Gamma Knife is actually an instrument that emits 201 finely focused beams of radiation that simultaneously intersect at the precise location of a brain disorder, in this case the site of the epileptic seizures. A stereotaxic head frame helps doctors identify the 3-D location of the disorder with input from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans. The neurosurgeon determines the number of radiation doses needed and the focal points for the radiation. Then the computer within the Gamma Knife sets the precise coordinates. Once the targeting is completed, the patient receives multiple doses of radiation over two to three hours. At the end of the day, the patient goes home.

"The disadvantage is that results from the Gamma Knife aren't immediate,” says Vincent Iragui, M.D., director of the Epilepsy Center at the University of California, San Diego (USA). "Patients' seizures gradually diminish over several months, but may not stop completely for nine to 12 months. The results with conventional surgery are usually immediate.” However, he notes that it is not unusual for low-dose radiation therapy, such as that delivered by the Gamma Knife, to have a delayed effect.

At the San Diego Gamma Knife Center (La Jolla, CA, USA), neurosurgeons use the Gamma Knife to treat tumors, vascular abnormalities, and functional disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia, and epilepsy. The Gamma Knife is the product of Elekta (Stockholm, Sweden; www.elekta.com).





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