Barts and The London Centre for Neurosciences | For clinicians | Advanced techniques
Advanced techniques
London Gamma Knife Centre
State-of-the-art treatment for patients with certain types of brain tumours is now available at The London Gamma Knife® Centre at Barts.
Despite its name, the Gamma Knife involves no surgery – instead it delivers a highly effective type of targeted radiotherapy, direct to the site of the tumour.
The centre – the first of its kind at an NHS hospital in London – is open to both NHS and private patients.
One of the many advantages of Gamma Knife treatment is that, unlike brain surgery, the patient has a local, rather than a general, anaesthetic and is often well enough to go back to work the following day.
In most cases, it is effective after one single dose and can be used for many different types of tumours – malignant and benign - in the brain, and the head and neck area.
The process starts with an MRI scan to locate the exact position of the tumours.
Patients wear a special 3D head frame which can be seen on the MRI imaging equipment, allowing doctors to map the tumours’ exact position.
The frame also keeps the patient’s head completely rigid to ensure total accuracy when targeting and delivering radiation during the Gamma Knife treatment.
Further follow-up visits are then required longterm to ensure that the tumour has been successfully treated.
For further information about The London Gamma Knife Centre, please visit: http://www.thelondongammaknifecentre.co.uk/
