Getting diagnosed with a brain tumor can be a terrifying experience. That’s why we are bringing the gold standard of treatment to our patients in the Toledo, OH region.
Mercy Health is excited to announce we are investing in the Leksell Gamma Knife® Icon™ system so we can perform stereotactic radiosurgery, a minimally invasive procedure. Gamma Knife® will be arriving soon to Mercy Health – Perrysburg Hospital, making it the first and only hospital in the region to offer this state-of-the art treatment.
“Gamma Knife® is an advanced form of radiation therapy and the standard of care to treat many forms of brain tumors. It can also treat neurological conditions ranging from vascular lesions in the brain to pain syndromes,” explains Zubair Ahammad, DO, a Mercy Health neurosurgeon.
The Gamma Knife® isn’t actually a knife. Instead, the “knife” refers to 192 individual beams of gamma rays creating a focal point that then precisely target an area of a brain that needs to be treated.
So, what are the benefits of Gamma Knife® radiosurgery?
- No incisions are made during the procedure.
- There is less damage to surrounding tissue, cells and nearby structures compared to normal surgery.
- The procedure requires no general anesthesia.
- It can typically be performed in one session in outpatient setting, eliminating the need for a hospital stay.
- There is minimal or no patient discomfort, which allows patients to quickly return to normal activities.
“Overall, the Gamma Knife® allows for fewer side effects, a much more favorable recovery, and significantly less long-term consequences than conventional radiation,” Dr. Ahammad shares. “It is an excellent tool for cancer care, as well as for benign tumors where surgery is not an option.”
Mercy Health – Perrysburg Hospital is a division of Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center.
Learn more about the brain tumor treatment and care we offer at Mercy Health.
