Gamma Knife® or stereotactic radiosurgery is a non-invasive, technologically advanced technique used to treat various types of brain disease.
Despite the name, no knife or traditional surgery is involved. Instead, a pioneering Gamma Knife® machine uses three-dimensional computer imaging to deliver very narrow and intensely focused beams of gamma radiation with pinpoint accuracy to defined areas of the brain. This highly targeted radiation destroys the diseased cells without damaging adjacent tissue.
Gamma Knife® does not carry the risks of open brain surgery and is undertaken as a day case procedure, with most patients returning to normal activities the next day.
The Leeds Gamma Knife Centre – part of Nova Healthcare – has a Gamma Knife® Icon™, providing the highest standard of innovative treatment, using both fixed-frame and mask options. The unique technology and processes allow the centre to offer both single fraction frame-based treatments and masked-based treatment offering daily consecutive treatments. Leeds Cancer Centre is the only centre in the north that is commissioned to treat children and young adults for neuro-oncology conditions and adults with arteriovenous malformations and trigeminal neuralgia. The Leeds Gamma Knife Centre working in partnership with Leeds Cancer Centre provide Gamma Knife® Icon™ treatment at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. This technique enables a wider range of clinical indications to be treated, with precision.
The dedicated Gamma Knife® Service Manager at Leeds Gamma Knife Centre is responsible for managing the service and patient referrals. The treatment is available to both NHS and private patients, with all referrals discussed by the multi-disciplinary team of experts prior to acceptance.
Conditions treated by Gamma Knife radiology
- Vascular Malformation
- Arteriovenous Malformation
- Cavernoma
- Functional
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Tumour
- Brain Metastases
- Vestibular Schwannoma
- Meningioma
- Pituitary Adenoma
- Pilocytic Astrocytoma
- Chordoma
- Ependymoma
- Glomus
- Haemangioblastoma
- Paediatric Neuro-Oncology
Consultants
Mr Nick Phillips – Consultant in Neurosurgery/Stereotactic Radiosurgery
(Vestibular Schwannoma, Pituitary adenoma, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Glomus)
Mr Atul Tyagi – Consultant in Neurosurgery/Stereotactic Radiosurgery
(Meningioma, Arteriovenous Malformations, Cavernoma, Glomus, Haemangioblastoma)
Mr Ian Anderson – Consultant in Neurosurgery/Stereotactic Radiosurgery
(Meningioma, Arteriovenous Malformations, Cavernoma, Glomus, Haemangioblastoma
Dr Paul Hatfield – Consultant in Clinical Oncology/Stereotactic Radiosurgery
(Metastases, Ependymoma, Pilocytic Astrocytoma, Paediatric Neuro-Oncology)
Dr Mike Flatley – Consultant in Clinical Oncology/Stereotactic Radiosurgery
(Metastases, Ependymoma, Pilocytic Astrocytoma, Paediatric Neuro-Oncology)