Some people experience mild headaches, a tingling sensation on the scalp, nausea or vomiting. In standard neurosurgery, there are possible complications associated with anesthesia, bleeding and infection.Įarly complications or side effects are usually temporary. Gamma Knife radiosurgery doesn't involve surgical openings, so it's generally less risky than standard neurosurgery. Radiosurgery can be used to shrink the tumor and lessen the irregular secretion of pituitary hormones. The pituitary gland controls hormones in the body that control various functions, such as stress response, metabolism and sexual function. Tumors of the bean-sized gland at the base of the brain, called the pituitary gland, can cause several problems. Radiosurgery may stop the growth of an acoustic neuroma. As the tumor grows, it also can put pressure on the nerves that control sensations and muscle movement in the face. When the tumor puts pressure on the nerve, you can experience hearing loss, dizziness, loss of balance and ringing in the ear, also called tinnitus.
This tumor develops along the nerve that controls balance and hearing and leads from the inner ear to the brain. An acoustic neuroma, also called a vestibular schwannoma, is a noncancerous tumor. Trigeminal neuralgia causes facial pain that feels like an electric shock.Īfter treatment, pain relief can happen within a few days to a few months.Īcoustic neuroma. The trigeminal nerves move sensory information between the brain and areas of the forehead, cheek and lower jaw. Radiosurgery causes the blood vessels in the AVM to close off over time.
This can cause a stroke or lead to bleeding in the brain. AVMs, if not treated, may "steal" the typical flow of blood from the brain. In an AVM, blood flows from the arteries to veins, moving past smaller blood vessels, also called capillaries. AVMs are tangles of arteries and veins in the brain. The cells cannot reproduce and may die, and the tumor may gradually get smaller.Īrteriovenous malformation (AVM). Radiosurgery damages the genetic material known as DNA in the tumor cells. Radiosurgery also can manage cancerous, also called malignant, brain tumors. Radiosurgery can manage small noncancerous, also called benign, brain tumors. Gamma Knife radiosurgery is most commonly used to treat the following conditions:īrain tumor. This type of surgery can be done in one day compared with up to 30 treatments with typical radiation therapy. In most cases, Gamma Knife radiosurgery has fewer side effects compared with other types of radiation therapy. A person prefers a less invasive treatment.A person isn't healthy enough for standard surgery.A tumor or other difference in the brain is too hard to reach with standard neurosurgery.This type of radiation treatment is usually performed when: Standard surgery requires making incisions in the scalp, skull and membranes surrounding the brain, and cutting into brain tissue. Gamma Knife radiosurgery is often safer than standard brain surgery, also called neurosurgery.
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