Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery
Known as neurosurgery without a knife,
stereotactic radiosurgery is changing the way neurosurgery is
performed. The procedures are performed by a team that
includes a neurosurgeon, a radiation oncologist, and a
physicist. Although conventional neurosurgery is still used
extensively, stereotactic radiosurgery can now be used with great
success to treat certain types of tumors, arteriovenous
malformations, and trigeminal neuralgia.
Stereotactic radiosurgery uses precisely
focused beams of radiation to obliterate unhealthy tissue in the
brain. Sophisticated imaging techniques are essential to
mapping treatment areas so that healthy tissue is spared. No
incisions are required, and the procedures are without the risks
associated with conventional neurosurgery. General anesthesia
is not required, and no incision means no risk of hemorrhage or
infection. Stereotactic radiosurgery can be used alone or in
conjunction with conventional surgical techniques.
At Barrow Neurological Institute, four types
of devices are used to perform stereotactic radiosurgery: Gamma
Knife, CyberKnife, Linear Accelerator, and the Peacock System.
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