Stereotactic Radiosurgery

DEFINITION

Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Stereotactic radiosurgery is a minimally-invasive form of surgical intervention which makes use of a three-dimensional coordinates system to assist in applying a precise dosage of radiation to intracranial and extracranial tumors and other lesions that could be otherwise inaccessible or inadequate for open surgery. There are many nervous diseases  for which conventional surgical treatment is difficult or inadvisable due to deleterious consequences for the patient, such as damage to nearby arteries, nerves, and other vital structures.

Stereotactic radiosurgery works the same as all other forms of radiation treatment; It does not remove the tumor or lesion, but it distorts the DNA of the tumor cells. The cells then lose their ability to reproduce and retain fluids. The tumor reduction occurs at the rate of normal growth for the specific tumor cell. In lesions such as AVMs (a tangle of blood vessels in the brain), radiosurgery causes the blood vessels to thicken and close off. The shrinking of a tumor or closing off of a vessel occurs over a period of time. For benign tumors and vessels, this will usually be 18 months to two years. For malignant or metastatic tumors, results may be seen in a few months, because these cells are very fast-growing.

Patients can be treated within one to five days and as an outpatient. The period of recovery is minimal, and in the day following the treatment the patient may return to his or her normal life style, without any discomfort.