Thornbury Radiosurgery Centre, BMI Thornbury Hospital, Sheffield
Gamma Knife is not a knife in the normal sense of the word
No incisions are made in your head Instead, very precisely focused beams of radiation are directed to the treatment area in the brain, optimised to hit only the target without damaging surrounding healthy tissue.
It offers a safe and effective treatment for more than 80,000 patients worldwide every year. The treatment procedure is simple, painless and straightforward.
Each patient is unique and their treatment plans are too
The possibility to deliver treatment in a shorter timespan
Designed to ensure high quality, conformal treatment plans
You will be invited for an outpatient appointment with one of our consultants and to attend a pre-assessment clinic. At the pre-assessment clinic you will meet with our radiography and nursing staff who will begin your journey through treatment.
It all begins with your consultation. You meet with a neurosurgeon or radiation oncologist to discuss your condition, your medical history and your treatment options.
When you arrive for your treatment, your physician places the stereotactic head frame on your head. The frame and mask keep your head from moving during your imaging / treatment sessions, allowing for pinpoint treatment accuracy
While you are positioned in the head frame or mask, images are captured to enable the most effective treatment plan possible. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) or angiography images help define the exact target, which is vital to accurate treatment planning.
Once your images are captured, your physician works with a specialised medical physicist to calculate exactly how the treatment should be performed – the number of beams and where they must intersect to deliver the most effective treatment while protecting surrounding tissue and structures.
When it is time for your treatment, you are positioned on the treatment couch for treatment. Your head frame or face mask is then secured to the couch. The treatment may last from a few minutes to more than an hour, depending on the size, shape, and complexity of the target(s) being treated. The treatment itself is painless—in fact, some patients even fall asleep. You can communicate with your treatment team at any time.
It’s an outpatient procedure that takes less than a day
It doesn’t require incisions, so there’s no general anesthesia and no risk of bleeding or infection
It can treat even the most challenging, hard-to-reach brain tumours and abnormalities that traditional brain surgery can’t
Side effects, such as headaches and nausea, are rare and usually temporary
Patients can return to normal activities the next day
Neurosurgeon
Developed a specialist expertise in spinal and complex spinal surgery (image guided and assisted) as well as Stereotactic Gammaknife Radiosurgery.
Neurosurgeon
Specialist interest in both Stereotactic Gamma Knife Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Functional Neurosurgery.
Neurosurgeon
A specialist Medical Research Council fellowship using magnetic resonance techniques and has a specialist interest in Stereotactic GammaKnife Neurosurgery.
Neurosurgeon
Holds 3 neurosurgical board certificates, the Royal College of Surgeons Fellowship, the European Board of Neurosurgery and the Egyptian Doctorate in Neurosurgery.
Elekta – Leksell Gamma Knife Icon
Thousands of radiation beams are generated with a level of accuracy better than 0.5mm. Individually, each radiation beam is too weak to damage the normal tissues it crosses on the way to the target. But when focused precisely on that target, the beams intersect and the combined radiation is sufficient to treat the targeted area.
The radiation damages the DNA in the cells of the tumour or other abnormality being treated, such that the cells that make up the abnormal tissue targeted can no longer reproduce. Eventually, when these cells come to the end of their natural life span, they find that they are unable to reproduce and replace themselves because the DNA essential to this process is no longer functioning properly.
The Thornbury Radiosurgery Centre is located within Circle Health Group Thornbury Hospital in Sheffield. The centre is able to treat both NHS and private patients. Nationally recognised for delivering outstanding patient care, the Gamma Knife Team have built strong working relationships in the area, prioritising the individual needs of the patient.
Address: Thornbury Radiosurgery Centre, BMI Thornbury Hospital, 312 Fulwood Rd, Sheffield S10 3BR
By bus: No. 40 or 120 from Sheffield Midland Station or Church Street opposite Cathedral.
By rail: From Sheffield Midland Station, the hospital is approximately 10 minutes by taxi.
Parking: Free parking available on site
Book an appointment online or via telephone or email
Call us: +44 (0) 203 941 6395
Email us: contactme@amethyst-radiotherapy.co.uk
