Home Treatments Gamma Knife Treatment
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You will be invited for an outpatient appointment with one of our consultants and to attend a pre-assessment clinic. At the pre-assessment clinic you will meet with our radiography and nursing staff. A blood sample may be taken and an assessment of your requirements for the treatment day undertaken. This also provides an opportunity to visit the centre and we encourage all patients and their relatives, friends or carers attending to ask any questions they may have.
On the treatment day you will be asked to come to the centre early in the morning.
At the centre you will be met by the team who will explain how the day will proceed. You will then be fitted with the stereotactic head frame. The lightweight frame allows the doctor to accurately pinpoint the target to be treated in your brain. It also prevents your head from moving during imaging and treatment procedures. The frame fitting involves a small degree of discomfort, but most patients tolerate it remarkably well. The application of the head frame requires four small injections to administer local anaesthetic (similar to having a dental treatment) in order to numb the sites where the 4 pins are to be used to secure the frame.
The whole procedure takes about 5 – 10 minutes during which you may experience some minor discomfort from the wearing of the head frame but you will quickly get used to this.
After the head frame is in place, you will be transferred to the imaging team so that your planning images can be done. Planning is usually based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans or occasionally computed tomography (CT) scans. This imaging is required to determine the exact size, shape and position of the target in the brain.
During imaging, a coordinate box is placed on the head frame to provide reference points on the images for the treatment plan. After imaging, the coordinate box is removed.
Your scanning session may last for up to 45 minutes, and may involve an injection of contrast dye to enable the best possible scan quality.
Once your scan is complete, you will be taken back to your room where you can have light refreshments and a rest. During this time, the Medical Physicist along with a Consultant Neuro Radiologist uses a specially designed computer system to calculate a precise and accurate treatment plan based upon your scans.
This treatment plan is unique to you as every patient’s plan is individually designed to address the specific medical condition. Once complete, your Consultant neurosurgeon reviews and accepts this plan and prescribes your treatment.
Once your treatment plan is complete and all necessary checks have taken place, the actual treatment can start. The treatment is similar to having a scan, and you will be lying down with your head frame supported to ensure that you are sufficiently still.
During the treatment you will be awake and be able to communicate with the Treatment team through an audio and video connection. If necessary, breaks can be introduced into the treatment process to ensure your comfort whilst you are treated.
When your treatment is complete, the head frame will be removed and you will be returned to your room to rest. Some patients experience a mild headache or some minor soreness at the points where the head frame was attached, but most report no problems.
The majority of our patients return home the same day an hour or two after the treatment has finished, your doctor will tell you whether or not they want you to stay overnight for observation. The points where the frame was fitted should heal completely in 1-2 weeks.
The effects of your treatment will occur over time. Radiation treatments are designed to stop the growth of tumours or dysfunctional tissue, which means that the effect will be seen over a period of weeks or months. The team will stay in contact with you and your referring Consultant to assess your progress. Follow-up imaging such as MRI or CT may be undertaken 3-12 months after treatment.
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