Brain Tumor and Treatment with Gamma Knife

Gamma rays (g-rays) are like high energy x-rays and can be focused with electromagnetic lenses like electron beam. Gamma knife is a new development in the field of Biomedical Engineering for the surgical interventions. Gamma knife in any way does not look like your kitchen knife, but it refers to a customized beam of gamma rays (g-rays). The conventional surgical procedures for the removal of a brain tumor may need a lot of expertise and experience for a neurosurgeon. The conventional neurosurgical procedures also need utmost precision while chopping of a brain tumor. The gamma knife has made it possible to retard the growth of a brain tumor through non-invasive procedure. The well focused gamma rays (g-rays) at the pre-investigated tumor site in the brain put a full stop on the metabolic activity of tumor cells. Though the technique is called gamma knife radio surgery; the brain tumor is not removed physically but dried and destroyed in situ. The patient needs not to be anaesthetized for gamma knife radio surgery and imaging. There are very few centers in the world equipped with the gamma knife radio surgery facility for the brain tumors.