Gamma knife solution

Promise of a New DayGamma Knife Surgery …

No Scalpel Required

Meet our superhero… Gamma Knife Man

The Gamma Knife was invented in 1967 by Lars Leskell, a Swedish neurosurgeon.

In 1986, the first commercially dedicated Leksell Gamma Knife Machine was used.

Today, Gamma Knife is used for more than just brain tumors, giving patients with many difficult diagnoses hope.

13,140 of the 22,010 will die shortly after diagnosis

This year 22,010 new cases of brain cancer will be diagnosed.

American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2010.

Surgery to remove a tumor is not always possible because it may be inaccessible or because surgery would damage

parts of the brain necessary for the functioning of the mind and/or body.

Even a benign tumor in the brain can be life threatening.

Help us Gamma Knife Man!

Gamma Knife treats brain tumorsGary Middleton’s Gamma Knife procedure was much less traumatic and invasive than the 10-hour unsuccessful surgery he underwent last November for his tumor.

"They didn't have to shave my head or anything this time," he said.

"Before, they had to drill up through the roof of my mouth and into my brain to get to the tumor. But this Gamma Knife is really easy. The actual treatments only took about 20 minutes altogether. I got two doses of radiation that lasted about eight minutes each."

"I didn't feel any pain at all. I had a bit of a headache when it was over because you can feel a little pressure where they attach the helmet, but that was it."

University of Maryland Medical Center

14,000 people are diagnosed with inoperable trigeminal neuralgia (TN) each year.

TN is a condition that affects one of the largest nerves in the head and causes severe stabbing pain from a touch to the affected area, but in many patients the pain is generated spontaneously without any stimulation.

Cold wind, high pitched sounds, loud noises, chewing, and talking can aggravate the condition.

Help us Gamma Knife Man!

Gamma Knife treats Trigeminal Neuralgia• For almost four years, Pastor George

Snyder suffered with inexplicable and unexpected pain. “It was like a lightning bolt hit my head. It could happen at any time.”

• Pastor Snyder was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia.

• Oral medications helped control the problem, but the pills affected Pastor Snyder’s brain. He couldn’t remember the sermons he wrote, and he could barely recall how to get to the grocery store.

• For three weeks after the treatment, Pastor Snyder had infrequent and less intense pain—and then all of a sudden, the pain was gone permanently.

“I was only in the gamma knife for 45 minutes,” remembers Pastor Snyder.

University of Maryland Medical Center

An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a tangle of abnormally connecting veins and arteries in the brain. The vessels in an AVM weaken over time,

making them prone to rupture and bleed. The cause isn't clear.

You may not know you have a brain AVM until you experience symptoms, such as headaches or a seizure.

In serious cases, the blood vessels rupture, causing a brain hemorrhage.

It is estimated that about one in 200-500 people may have an arteriovenous malformation.

Help us Gamma Knife Man!

Gamma Knife Cures an Inoperable AVM

• When Lauri, 27, went to the hospital complaining of a severe headache, neurosurgeons discovered her AVM . It had ruptured, spewing blood into the cerebrospinal fluid. The neurosurgeons referred Lauri to Dr. Robert Spetzler at Barrow Neurological Institute.

• Dr. Spetzler planned to remove the AVM in two surgeries, but during the first surgery, he found that the AVM was so large and complex and located in such a critical area that removing it would likely result in brain damage.

• The Gamma Knife treatment was her only option. It worked. Her AVM was completely gone.

Barrow Neurological Institute

"I was very thankful," says Lauri. "They actually said they didn't see the AVM any more. Can you imagine that?“

Why Gamma Knife?

• Gamma Knife technology offers hope to patients who were formerly considered untreatable by eliminating the need to open the skull.

• Precise shaping of the radiation beam protects critical structure surrounding the lesion thereby enabling a higher dose to the target less damage from scatter rays

Additional uses for Gamma Knife

• Treatment of choice for children, pregnant women and benign brain diseases, by preventing long term complications of radiation tx

• Only FDA approved system for brain metastases

• Very few post-operative side effects

• No need for anesthesia in adults

• No recuperation period

• Cost effective in comparison to surgical intervention

How does

Gamma Knife

Surgery work?

Literature Review• There are over 2000

peer reviewed scientific articles confirming the unsurpassed outcomes of Gamma Knife technology

• Gamma Knife has treated more than 500,000 patients worldwide

To remain cutting edge and give patients the best chance of survival, hospitals without a Gamma Knife must implement a program.

Implementation at the Facility

• Provide a state of the art facility with available and accessible parking

• Provide state of the art equipment and software to analyze and implement treatments

• Frequent software updates

Implementation for the Staff• Priority on the hiring of adequately skilled

and trained staff to implement the treatment/procedure efficiently and effectively

• Provide on-site training to staff

Implementing Community Awareness

Advertise in local magazines, newspapers and websites

Physicians to speak at conferences and local gatherings in the medical community to spread the word and inform the medical

community of the risks, benefits and treatment

Supporting the Patient

• Provide patient education in the form of written pamphlets, DVD’s and face to face communication with a nurse or physician so as to answer patients and families questions in a private and intimate atmosphere

• Organize support groups for willing participants to share their experiences and feelings regarding their situations and treatment

Evidence Based Practice• Share data with

universities, other healthcare agencies, reputable journals and studies to aid in research

• By sharing research and making the technology known, the option will reach more potential clients/patients thereby giving them more options

Evaluating Success• Evaluate patient

satisfaction using anonymous patient satisfaction surveys

• Collect data regarding patient outcomes at the 1 month, 6 month, 1 year mark and every year thereafter up to year 5 to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment

Sommer Carter, Virginia Cule, Lisa StebbinsVanguard University NUR 305