The Leksell Gamma Knife® Icon™ is a clinically proven method to treat intracranial (within the skull) locations – such as the brain, brain stem or the trigeminal nerve. Despite its name, the Leksell Gamma Knife® Icon™ does not involve a surgical incision or opening of the skull, but highly sophisticated non-invasive treatment that uses a beam of radiation to damage targeted tissue in a very precise manner while minimising exposure to healthy surrounding tissues and critical structures.
This highly precise and focused treatment is called stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). SRS reduces the risk of potential side effects that might impact normal brain function and your quality of life.
Your neurosurgeon or clinical oncologist will determine the type of treatment you receive, based on your diagnosis and your specific treatment needs. For many indications, the Leksell Gamma Knife® Icon™ treatment is delivered in a single session. For others, you may be offered fractionated stereotactic surgery, which divides the total radiation dose over several treatment sessions.
Fractionation extends the Leksell Gamma Knife® Icon™ precision and accuracy to previously challenging tumours, including large lesions or those abutting very sensitive areas such as the optic chiasm (where the left and right optic nerves partially cross to the opposite side of the brain).