Prospective Study on the Short-Term Adverse Effects From Gamma Knife Radiosurgery

    November 2007 in “ International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics ”
    Samuel T. Chao, V.V. Thakkar, Betty Jamison, Alwyn M. Reuther, Gene H. Barnett, Michael A. Vogelbaum, Lilyana Angelov, Steven Toms, Gennady Neyman, John H. Suh
    TLDR Gamma Knife radiosurgery is generally well tolerated with few major short-term side effects.
    The study aimed to determine the types, incidence, and severity of acute complications from Gamma Knife (GK) radiosurgery in 76 patients. The median age was 62 years, and conditions treated included brain metastases, trigeminal neuralgia, and schwannoma. One week post-GK, 24% reported minimal scalp numbness, and 13% had pin site pain. By one month, 10% experienced new local hair loss, and 16% reported new/worsening fatigue. Balance improved significantly over time, and 84% of employed patients returned to work within a median of 4 days. Overall, GK was well tolerated with few major acute effects, and many patients resumed work shortly after the procedure.
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