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Gamma Knife Treatment
- Days In Hospital 3 days
- Outside Hospital Stay 7 days
- Success Rate %
Minimum Cost
$ 5000
Maximum Cost.
$ 7000
Most Asked Procedures
Overview of Gamma Knife Treatment in India
Gamma knife treatment is a surgical intervention that uses gamma rays or gamma radiation to treat abnormal growths and tumors in patients. This procedure does not require cutting into the body as it utilises a computerised system to allow the precise delivery of high levels of gamma radiation directly to the area being treated, while minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissues.
The cost for gamma knife radiation therapy will vary according to location; however, on average it is priced between Rs.460,000 to Rs.570,000 in India. In addition to having relatively low costs, gamma knife therapy surgery is also considered painless and a non-invasive method of addressing brain tumors and/or their associated symptoms. The effectiveness of gamma knife radiation therapy will depend upon many different factors. Still, in general the chance for success increases as the size of a tumor decreases and its condition worsens.
What Is Gamma Knife Surgery?
Gamma Knife surgery isn’t actually surgery, and there’s no knife involved. What it does is use computer-guided radiation to treat problems in the brain or the upper spine—stuff like tumors or other tricky conditions. The “knife” part of the name just comes from how precise it is. Gamma rays, which are just high-energy photons, can zero in on a spot as accurately as a surgeon’s scalpel, but without any cutting.
The way it works: doctors aim a bunch of focused radiation beams right at the area that needs treatment. This hits the target but leaves the healthy tissue around it mostly untouched. People call it Gamma Knife radiosurgery or sometimes just Gamma Knife radiation, but it all means the same thing—targeted, noninvasive treatment for the brain and spine.
What Does Gamma Knife Surgery Treat?
Gamma Knife surgery uses targeted radiation to stop, shrink, or destroy tumors and lesions in the brain. Doctors use it for all sorts of brain issues, like:
- Tumours (both cancerous and non-cancerous)
- Blood vessel problems
- Certain nerve disorders
Some of the specific tumors it treats are:
- Acoustic neuromas (also called vestibular schwannomas)
- Brain metastases
- Chondrosarcomas
- Chordomas
- Craniopharyngiomas
- Gliomas
- Meningiomas
- Paragangliomas
- Pituitary adenomas
It’s also used for conditions like:
- Arteriovenous malformations (AVM)
- Epilepsy
- Essential tremor or symptoms from Parkinson’s disease
- Trigeminal neuralgia
Gamma Knife comes in handy when a tumor or lesion is in a spot regular surgery can’t reach, or if surgery isn’t safe for you. Sometimes, doctors combine it with regular surgery to help keep a tumor from growing back.
Types of Gamma Knife Treatment:
Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)
Gamma Knife radiosurgery is a precise medical procedure that targets a small area in the brain with high-dose radiation. Instead of open surgery, doctors use this advanced method to focus the treatment exactly where it’s needed.
Take brain tumors, for example. SRS treats these tumors whether they’re just starting or already advanced. Since it’s non-invasive, people often choose it instead of traditional surgery. The Gamma Knife aims radiation right at the tumor, protecting the healthy brain tissue around it.
It’s not just tumors, either. Doctors use Gamma Knife SRS for arteriovenous malformations—those tangled blood vessels in the brain that can bleed or cause other problems. This focused treatment helps manage those risks.
Then there’s trigeminal neuralgia. That’s the kind of facial pain that can be absolutely debilitating. SRS offers real relief here, reducing pain and helping people get back to living their lives.
Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT)
Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT) is a kind of Gamma Knife treatment that gives high doses of radiation, but spreads them out over several sessions. It works well for bigger brain tumors or when large parts of the brain are affected.
When someone has a large brain tumor, SRT steps in because a single session of SRS just isn’t enough. Spacing out the treatment lowers the risk of side effects, which is a big deal. SRT also comes in handy when doctors need to protect the healthy brain tissue around the tumor. By dividing the radiation into several sessions, SRT helps keep those healthy areas safe, so patients hold on to as much brain function as possible.
Procedure:
The gamma knife treatment consists of several steps, and the method used for performing this treatment is as follows:
Head Frame Placement: The patient must wear a head frame, which fits securely on their head before the actual treatment can begin, and this head frame serves two purposes: first, it allows the gamma rays to be delivered to the patient in the proper location, and second, it keeps the patient from moving during treatment, which ensures accuracy when targeting the area being treated. This is what allows the medical team to locate the target area within the patient's brain accurately.
Imaging and Planning: After placing the head frame on the patient's head, the patient will receive imaging scans (usually a CT scan or an MRI) to give the medical team detailed images of the patient's brain and the lesion.
Treatment Planning: The medical team will then create a specific treatment plan based on the patient's situation to deliver the correct dose of radiation to the target area and to coordinate the activities of the medical team to perform the gamma knife treatment.
Radiation Delivery - The Gamma Knife equipment is set over the area to be treated through alignment. The equipment has many small beams of radiation directed straight to the target with high accuracy. A large dose of radiation is given to the lesion with very little radiation being given to the surrounding tissue. The patient remains awake during the entire procedure and is aware of all that is going on.
Length of Time for Treatment - The amount of time for the radiation delivery of the Gamma Knife treatment will typically be anywhere from just a few minutes up to an hour. The amount of time depends on the complexity of the treatment plan.
Removal of the Frame - After the radiation treatment has been finished, the frame that was attached to the patient's head will be taken off. This process is usually quick and does not require much discomfort for the patient.
Recovery from Gamma Knife Therapy - The recovery time from the treatment with the Gamma Knife is generally very short. Medications will usually be given to control side effects such as nausea, vomiting, headache, etc.
Best Doctors in India
Dr Harnarayan Singh
Director and Head of the Department : Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery
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Cost of Gamma Knife Treatment in India
In India, the price range for gamma knife treatment is ₹4,60,000 to ₹5,70,000. The price may change based on each patient's unique circumstance. Additionally, the price may change according on how many treatment sessions are needed.
Top Hospitals in India
Indications of Gamma Knife Treatment:
Indications for Gamma Knife Treatment include:
Abnormal Brain Blood Vessels (AVMs) Brain Tumours
Trigeminal Neuralgia: Severe Facial Pain
Tumours of the Pituitary Gland
Brain Cancer Spreads to Ear Nerve Tumours
Some Brain Tumours That Are Not Cancerous
Abnormal Blood Vessels in the Brain
Risk Factors:
Here are some risk factors for Gamma Knife treatment that are associated with these procedures:
Adverse Reactions to Radiation
Gamma Knife treatments employ ionising radiation and can produce adverse reactions in many patients, including headaches, fatigue and temporary hair loss.
Cerebral Edema (Brain Swelling)
Patients may experience issues with cerebral edema (swelling) due to the effect of ionising radiation on the brain after treatment. Symptoms of nausea and headaches can arise in association with cerebral edema.
Potential for Hemorrhage
Gamma Knife treatment of abnormal blood vessels typically presents with a very low risk of hemorrhage. Bleeding may occur long after treatment and may present further complications.
Radiation Therapy Side Effects
There occurs an experience of nausea or vomiting if a patient is exposed to too much radiation; however, there are medications to treat nausea/vomiting.
Neurological
Some temporary neurologic side effects can occur, such as weakness, numbness, or tingling at the site where too much radiation has been delivered. The severity of these side effects depends on the location where too much radiation has been delivered.
Infection
In an invasive procedure (e.g., inserting a catheter), a patient is at risk of developing an infection at the site of the tool's insertion. Infection might occur after the procedure as well.
Brain Function
Gamma Knife therapy can impact the functioning of the brain. If healthy tissues surrounding the target tissue are exposed to radiation, it can cause damage to those tissues, resulting in alteration of brain function.