How Long Is Gamma Knife Radiosurgery From Start To Finish?

gamma knife radiosurgery - physician prepares patient for the procedure on the Gamma Knife

Many cancer treatments, from radiotherapy to chemotherapy, take multiple sessions and quite some time for the treatment to fully take effect, in order to balance their powerful effects with recovery and life’s responsibilities.

One exception to this is stereotactic radiosurgery, which, through highly powerful doses of radiation, targets tumours and lesions in the brain over time.

It is sometimes compared to a surgery, to the point of even being called Gamma Knife radiosurgery, but unlike invasive treatments to remove brain tumours, there is no need for an overnight stay, typically no need for general anaesthesia and no stitches.

How long does stereotactic take from start to finish? It can vary depending on the exact treatment plan, but here is the general progression of treatment and how long each step usually takes.

How Long Does It Take For Treatment Teams To Decide On Gamma Knife Radiosurgery?

One of the longest stages of the treatment is the initial consultation and treatment planning phase, both of which are done before any treatment is agreed to.

Oncologists and a cancer team need to agree that stereotactic radiosurgery is the best course of action to treat your brain tumour; they need to determine the complexity of the treatment, how much planning will be required ahead of time, and how urgent treatment is.

How Long Does Preparation Take For Gamma Knife Radiosurgery?

Preparing for radiosurgery involves a pre-treatment physical exam to ensure that you can lie flat on your back for the time it takes to undergo the procedure, further scans of your brain to allow specialist radiation oncologists to plan the procedure and preparations to ensure the frame or mask fits snugly on your head.

You will be given advice ahead of time, specific to your treatment, including:

  • Avoiding eating or drinking anything after midnight the day before your treatment.
  • Taking any medications before the treatment with sips of water, and ensuring that any medications you need to take that day are brought with you to the clinic.
  • Washing your scalp, not using hair products and keeping hair loose to avoid interfering with the treatment.
  • Wearing comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.
  • Ensuring you have arrangements to get to and from the clinic.

How Long Does Planning Take For Gamma Knife Radiosurgery?

The planning stage and the actual treatment often take place on the same day, but they can take place on separate days in some circumstances.

The initial planning steps involve the administration of an IV with a contrast agent and sedatives.

The former helps with imaging tests to ensure pinpoint accuracy with Gamma Knife treatment, whilst the sedatives can help provide relaxation during the planning and treatment stages.

The imaging tests themselves, which can use computed tomography (CT scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scans), or both, will determine the exact target treatment area, the size of a tumour and guide the advanced planning of the treatment.

The IV can take several minutes to take effect, the scans can take roughly half an hour, and the planning typically takes at least an hour.

This appointment can take at least three hours, including the time it takes to recover from any required sedatives.

How Long Does Gamma Knife Treatment Take?

Gamma Knife therapy itself can vary in length, depending on the complexity of the treatment.

You will once again have an IV drip fitted if the planning and treatment take place on separate days, before you lie on the treatment table, and a frame or mesh mask is secured to your head and to the table to ensure that the treatment is as accurate as possible.

The radiation is then administered remotely using a highly advanced machine that focuses several beams onto a single point to maximise accuracy whilst minimising radiation.

This process can take as little as 30 minutes and as long as four hours, depending on the complexity of the treatment plan, how many doses of radiation are required and how much the machine needs to move around your head.

Once the treatment is completed, a chime will sound, the frame will be removed, and the IV will be taken out. You will then be taken to a recovery room to be monitored before typically being free to go home.

Most of the time, the planning and treatment stages are undertaken on the same day, and the appointment can take up to 12 hours.

How Long Does It Take To Recover From Gamma Knife Radiosurgery?

Most of the time, you can go home the same day, although in some cases you may be asked to stay in the clinic overnight for additional monitoring.

You can typically return to your normal schedule within a week, although you may receive additional instructions to manage the pain, how to clean and dress any scratches and how to speed up recovery.