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™, one of only two machines in the UK providing the highest standard and most 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. Your doctor will let you know which techniques are most suitable for your condition. Leeds Cancer Centre is the only centre in the north that is commissioned to treat children and young people for neuro-oncology conditions. Leeds Cancer Centre in partnership with The Leeds Gamma Knife Centre provide Gamma Knife® Icon™ treatment at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. This latest generation technique enables a wider range of clinical indications to be treated, with even greater 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.
