If you’ve been scheduled for a Gamma Knife procedure, you’re probably eagerly anticipating a positive outcome similar to the one experienced by many of the patients who have undergone the same treatment. The preparations for this medical procedure are quite simple and involve only a few steps on the night preceding the intervention, as well as on the morning of the intervention. Following the instructions below will ensure you’re ready to undergo Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.
How to Prepare Prior to the Day of Treatment
The preparations required for your Gamma Knife procedure are similar to those needed for a broad array of medical treatments. Ask your doctor what medications to take on the night before and morning of the procedure. Wash your hair, but refrain from using hair toiletries other than shampoo. To reduce the likelihood of getting an upset stomach, don’t eat or drink anything after midnight. Go to bed at a reasonable hour the night before the intervention so you’ll feel well rested in the morning.
You’ll also need to arrange ahead of time for a family member to accompany you and stay throughout the treatment. This person should to be able to help with your minor care needs and drive you home after the procedure.
How to Prepare on the Morning of the Treatment
Wear loose-fitting clothing and don’t put on makeup, hair pieces or jewelry. Apprise your doctor of all your health information. The medical team will have your history on file; however, remind them if you take diabetes medications or have medical devices on your body such as a pacemaker, an artificial heart valve, stents and aneurysm clips. In addition, let them know if you tend to be claustrophobic or have allergies to iodine or seafood.
How the Medical Team Will Prepare You for a Gamma Knife Procedure
Once you arrive at the center, the medical team will take over the preparations for your Gamma Knife procedure. The next step involves gently attaching a head frame to your scalp with pins, following the administration of anesthetizing shots at the points of contact. This attachment of the head frame isn’t painful, but you might feel tightness or pressure that should dissipate in 15 minutes.
After the head frame is secure, you’ll undergo computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging to identify the precise location of the abnormality. If you have trigeminal neuralgia, the imaging will show what part of the nerve fibers to target. In case of arteriovenous malformations, the medical team will order the additional imaging of a cerebral angiogram, which is a test that reveals blockages in blood vessels in the brain.
The data from these tests will enable your physicians to formulate a plan that comprises the exact target, the dosage of radiation needed, and the method used to focus radiation beams. As this planning stage may take up to one or two hours, you can rest in another room with the head frame remaining in place. At this point, you may be given a mild sedative to promote relaxation. Once the plan is locked into the computer, your Gamma Knife procedure will begin.
What to Expect During a Gamma Knife Procedure
Knowing what to expect during a Gamma Knife procedure will help you feel prepared. Your head frame will be attached to the Gamma Knife “couch”. The Perfexion unit is open, like a CT scanner, so you will be able to communicate with your doctors and they will be able to see and hear you at all times. The treatment takes anywhere from 20 minutes, to two hours on average, but it won’t be painful. Many patients relax enough to even fall asleep.
What to Expect During Recovery
Mental preparedness also includes a familiarity with the recovery process, which will start as soon as the execution of the plan has completed. The team will remove the head frame and provide you with medication if you experience nausea or a headache. You’ll be permitted to eat and drink. Once you feel up to it, you’ll go home on the same day.
Since the preciseness of your Gamma Knife procedure protects healthy tissue, any adverse effects will likely be mild, and you may resume your regular activities as you feel able. The medical team will provide follow-up instructions before you leave the clinic.
As you physically and mentally prepare for a Gamma Knife procedure, you can feel confident of its high level of safety and efficacy. The reduced pain and suffering it often brings make it a very valuable medical procedure.
