Gamma knife, ‘Gamma knife’, is an advanced treatment method that has proven its effectiveness in neurosurgery, especially in the last 20 years. Gamma knife was developed by Swedish neurosurgeon Lars Leksell. This method, which can focus the gamma rays emanating from the Cobalt 60 radioisotope to a single area from 201 different angles with a precision of one-fifth of a millimeter and treat the diseased tissue with great precision without damaging the normal brain tissue, is a revolution in neurosurgery.
The procedure begins with the four-point fixation of a special frame to the patient’s skull under local anesthesia; Thanks to this frame placed on the skull, appropriate guidance for gamma rays is provided. Gamma rays are sent with great precision to the coordinates of the diseased brain tissue, which is calculated by looking at MR-CT and, if necessary, angiography images. The whole procedure varies between 2 and 5 hours and patients can usually go home the same day. In most cases, psychiatric diseases such as appropriate tumors, cerebrovascular tangles, facial-headaches (Trigeminal neuralgia) and obsessive-compulsive (obsessive disease) can be treated in a single session.
