WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: What do I need to know about gamma knife surgery? Gamma knife surgery for malignant glioma uses radiation to remove a tumor in the brain. How do I prepare for gamma knife surgery? Your healthcare provider will talk to you about how to prepare for surgery. He may tell you not to eat or drink anything after midnight on the day of your surgery. He will tell you what medicines you may or may not take on the day of your surgery. What will happen during gamma knife surgery? Your healthcare provider will inject local anesthesia in the areas of your head where the head frame will be placed. The head frame will be attached to a helmet placed over your head. A computer will show pictures of your brain to your healthcare provider. When your surgery starts, the bed you are lying on will be moved inside the treatment hood. Your healthcare provider will use the computer to aim beams of radiation into the holes of the helmet. These beams will pass through your skull and brain until they reach your tumor. After treatment, your bed will be moved out of the hood. The head frame and helmet will be removed. What are the risks of gamma knife surgery? You may need open brain surgery if problems occur during gamma knife surgery. Your brain, eyes, bones, blood vessels, or nerves may get damaged during surgery. Radiation may cause nausea, vomiting, skin or blood problems, or seizures. Surgery may not completely remove your tumor, or your tumor may come back. You may get a blood clot in your leg or arm. This may become life-threatening. |