CUMMING - The Northside Hospital Cancer Institute continues to add to its radiation oncology program. Beginning in November, the newly renovated and expanded Northside Hospital-Forsyth Cancer Center will begin to offer the latest treatment for malignant and benign brain tumors and functional and vascular disorders.
“The addition of Gamma Knife® Perfexion™ unit to the Neuro Oncology program at the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute will be a significant benefit to hundreds of patients requiring treatment of both benign and malignant brain lesions in the North Georgia and metro Atlanta area,” said Dr. Peter Possert, medical director of Northside’s Gamma Knife Program.
Gamma Knife surgery is a non-invasive alternative to traditional brain surgery. Despite the name, there’s no blade or knife. It delivers precisely focused high-dose beams of radiation to selected areas deep within the brain, without a scalpel and without the usual risks of surgery or an incision. It’s designed for treatment of malignant and benign brain tumors, vascular abnormalities and functional disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia.
“The Gamma Knife Perfexion is able to treat multiple lesions in a single session,” Dr. Possert said. “And it successfully treats previously unreachable lesions.”
This type of radiosurgery is typically performed in a single outpatient treatment session without general anesthesia, he added.
“For patients, this means they will undergo a non-invasive form of brain surgery without surgical risks, a long hospital stay or subsequent rehabilitation,” said Dr. Possert.
More than 70,000 patients globally are treated with Gamma Knife each year. Most return home the same day after the treatment is completed.
