Washington University School of Medicine was the first in Missouri to offer the Gamma Knife, a highly effective radiation tool that targets brain tumors. More than 2,600 Gamma Knife procedures later, this innovative tool is providing a better chance at survival and recovery for patients with hard-to-reach and hard-to-treat brain tumors.   

The Gamma Knife at the Siteman Cancer Center isn't a knife at all. It is a radiation tool known world-wide for its precise, powerful treatment of brain tumors. This equipment focuses 192 precisely guided beams of radiation on targeted malignant or benign tumors that cannot be reached through surgery, are multiple in number or are resistant to radiation therapy. For patients whose age or other medical conditions make brain surgery too risky, the Gamma Knife can be a life-saving procedure.

Washington University neurosurgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital have stayed at the forefront of Gamma Knife technology and currently use the latest model: the Perfexion stereotactic radiosurgery system. This model has updated software and allows for more accurate delivery of radiation while avoiding vital neurologic areas.

Although there are other types of units that deliver radiosurgery in the St. Louis area, Barnes-Jewish is the only hospital in the region to employ Gamma Knife.

Benefits of Gamma Knife Surgery

The Gamma Knife unit has a long, well-documented history of accuracy and success in delivering focused radiation. Gamma Knife radiosurgery is safe, accurate and cost-efficient. It allows more effective treatment of smaller lesions and of lesions in areas of the brain that directly control speech, movement, vision and vital functions such as breathing, consciousness and blood pressure.

Gamma Knife procedures typically result in . The treatment is minimally invasive, so most patients need little recuperation and can resume normal activities the next day.

What to Expect

Because no incisions are made during Gamma Knife radiosurgery, and because the method of radiation delivery is precise, the risk of surgical complications is low and patients have little discomfort. Most gamma knife patients can be treated as outpatients. The procedure typically lasts four to five hours.

The system is unique in that it uses a special helmet to create entry for tiny pencil beams to precisely focus on one spot. Each helmet comes with 60-70 holes in different sizes, depending on the size of the target. The unit can beam through as many of these holes as needed to cover the target area. Neurosurgeons place the helmet and frame on the patient’s head to create rigid immobility. The head cannot move at all, because one millimeter either way can make a difference.

Candidates for Gamma Knife radiosurgery may commonly include patients with metastatic brain disease; brain tumors such as pituitary adenomas, acoustic schwannomas and meningiomas; arteriovenous malformations (AVM); trigeminal neuralgia (facial pain); and in select cases, gliomas, essential tremors, epilepsy and other neurologic conditions.

Neurosurgeons consult with patients to decide the best course of treatment and whether age or medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease make Gamma Knife the preferred option.

The Gamma Knife Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital is jointly owned by Barnes-Jewish Hospital and HealthSouth and opened in June 1998. The facility allows credentialed physicians from the St. Louis metropolitan area to treat patients with certain neurosurgical conditions within the Barnes-Jewish Hospital unit.

For a referral to a Washington University neurologist or neurosurgeon at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, call 314-TOP-DOCS (314-867-3627) or toll-free 866-867-3627.