Gamma Knife

The Gamma Knife doesn’t have a blade like a conventional knife; instead, it uses focused radiation to treat neurological conditions. Board-certified neurosurgeons Amanda Carpenter, MD, and Duncan Carpenter, MD, at North Jersey Neurosurgical Associates in Ridgewood, New Jersey, use the Gamma Knife to treat conditions ranging from trigeminal neuralgia to brain tumors. Learn more about benefiting from Gamma Knife treatment by calling North Jersey Neurosurgical Associates today or schedule a consultation using the online booking form.

What is Gamma Knife?

Despite the name, Gamma Knife isn’t a knife at all. It’s a special type of radiation therapy used to treat problems in the brain without making any cuts or incisions. 

Gamma Knife harnesses focused radiation beams to target and treat abnormal tissue, like tumors or blood vessel problems, with great precision.

What conditions can Gamma Knife treat?

North Jersey Neurosurgical Associates uses Gamma Knife to treat a variety of brain conditions, including:

• Brain tumors (both cancerous and noncancerous)
• Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), which are tangled blood vessels
• Trigeminal neuralgia, which causes severe facial pain
• Acoustic neuromas (noncancerous tumors near the ear)
• Some types of epilepsy and movement disorders

Your neurosurgeon will let you know if Gamma Knife is a good option for your condition. The technology has been in use for decades and is very safe. It’s also very precise, which helps protect healthy brain tissue and reduces the chance of complications.

How does Gamma Knife work?

Gamma Knife uses up to 200 tiny beams of radiation that all meet at a single point inside the brain. Each individual beam is too weak to harm healthy tissue on its own, but when they combine, they deliver a powerful dose of radiation right where it’s needed without affecting the areas around it.

Gamma Knife is considered a type of stereotactic radiosurgery. This means it uses radiation in a very focused way to act like surgery without opening the skull or touching the brain. It’s an outpatient procedure, so most patients go home the same day.

What should I expect during the Gamma Knife procedure?

Before Gamma Knife treatment, North Jersey Neurosurgical Associates may fit your head with a frame or mask to keep it still. Your surgeon uses imaging scans like MRI or CT to plan precisely where to target the radiation. 

The treatment is painless and usually lasts between 30 minutes and 2 hours. You’ll be awake the whole time.

What is recovery like after Gamma Knife treatment?

Since Gamma Knife treatment involves no cutting, there’s no wound to care for. Most patients feel tired for a day or two afterward, but side effects are usually mild, and many return to normal activities within a few days.

North Jersey Neurosurgical Associates can answer your questions and help you understand whether Gamma Knife is the right option for your condition. Call today or use the online booking feature to request a consultation.