Good Samaritan Medical Center has recently upgraded its brain surgery procedures with the addition of the latest technology, the Leksell Gamma Knife PERFEXION. This cutting-edge, $4 million system will completely replace the previous Gamma Knife unit, and expands the range of treatment options and comfort level for patients.
The Gamma Knife is a state-of-the-art treatment method for lesions in the brain, which uses a noninvasive surgical technique called stereotaxic radiosurgery. It uses more than 200 beams of highly focused gamma rays that are precisely aimed to treat part of the brain.However, with the old system it was cumbersome to target the exact shape of a tumor.
“With this new Gamma Knife system virtually every square millimeter of the brain is accessible,” said Jordan C. Grabel, M.D., F.A.C.S., Medical Director of the Gamma Knife Center at the Cancer Institute at Good Samaritan. “No matter how irregular the shape of the tumor, just the affected area will receive the gamma rays. This new system is able to outline every tiny change.”
According to the Leksell Gamma Knife PERFEXION™ website, up to 150 additional new patients per one million people will be suitable for procedures using this new system. There are approximately 35 Gamma Knife centers in the U.S., and Good Samaritan is one of only four Gamma Knife centers in Florida, and the only one in Palm Beach County, to offer this treatment option.
Good Samaritan has offered Gamma Knife services since 1998, and began treating patients with the new system in January.
In addition to increased precision, patients will also experience an increased level of comfort Gamma Knife ® PERFEXION™ treatments are approximately 30 minutes to one hour shorter per patient. Moreover, patients with hard to reach tumors no longer need to lie in awkward positions during the procedure. Rather, they can simply lie in a neutral position while the equipment moves to accommodate them.
Learn More about Gamma Knife