Obtaining the Best Accuracy
Radiosurgery using the Leksell Gamma Knife achieves precision to 0.03 mm—a size equal to the width of a hair.

This amazing accuracy is due to the use of a 3D reference system that allows the surgeon to accurately target and treat the diseased area with the highest accuracy.

During Gamma Knife surgery, a frame is attached to the patient’s head. Patients report that the lightweight frame is somewhat uncomfortable, but worth it to achieve accuracy in radiating the brain. This frame accomplishes two things:

1. Fixates the head so there is no movement during treatment.
   The combination of a stationary (fixed source) radiation delivery system with a frame that securely fastens onto the equipment itself creates a highly stable system that improves accuracy.
2. It offers tracking metrics for accurate treatment planning and delivery.
   The frame can be seen on the imaging equipment, providing the treatment team with an exact set of coordinates so that a lesion or tumor is precisely targeted.

Some manufacturers of radiotherapy machines that do not require a frame try to scare patients with pictures and descriptions of “barbaric” fixation. In reality:

• The frame is made of a lightweight aluminum alloy that only weighs 1.8 pounds.
• The patient receives a local anesthetic to numb the locations where the frame will be attached to the head.
• There is no pain during the placement of the frame but the patient may experience a feeling of pressure or tightness that will disappear after about 15 minutes.