Stereotactic Radiosurgery is the precise targeting
of radiation to inactivate or destroy pathological tissues
while sparing neighboring normal tissues. Like surgery, radiosurgery
is done in a single treatment. Unlike surgery, radiosurgery
does not require an anesthetic or an incision.
Manufactured in Sweden by Elekta Instrument
AB, a Gamma Knife delivers a surgical dose of radiation by
201 separate narrow beams of precisely collimated gamma rays
directed to a single isocenter.
Linear accelerators are widely available. They
have been modified for radiosurgery in different ways. In
general, LINAC-based techniques are divided according to the
use of single plane rotations, multiple non-planar converging
arcs, or the simultaneous rotation of the couch and gantry.
"IMRT" is the latest advance in stereotactic
radiosurgery. Taking advantage of state-of-the-art computer
technology, inverse dose planning IDP (contrary to the conventional
trial and error method) is designed to offer the best-case
scenario to maximize radiation dose to tumors.
