New gamma knife can handle big brain tumours

Health Sciences Centre has acquired the latest version of the gamma knife, a high-precision device used for minimally invasive brain surgery.

The Elekta Esprit, the seventh generation of the device, can treat larger tumours. It uses 192 focused beams of gamma radiation to treat lesions, tumours, vascular malformations and other brain conditions.

The new technology was unveiled at a news conference Monday. It was paid for by donations to the Health Sciences Centre Foundation and by funding from the provincial government.

“This new technology means more Manitobans can receive advanced brain treatment within the public health system, without the trauma of open surgery. For patients and families, that can mean less pain, shorter recovery times and fewer disruptions to their lives” Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said in a news release from the foundation.

With the new device, integrated CT imaging eliminates the need for same-day MRIs, and patients have the option of wearing a custom-fitted mask to stabilize their head during the procedure.

“These advancements are significant because they allow us to be far more flexible in scheduling MRIs, which benefits all HSC patients, not just those in neurosurgery,” Dr. Anthony Kaufmann, a neurosurgeon at HSC, said.

“The new unit also shortens the patient’s time commitment on treatment day. In some cases, a patient can be fitted with a mask, have their tumour treated and return home in as little as two to three hours.”

HSC became the first hospital in Canada to acquire a gamma knife system in 2003. Five thousand patients have been treated using the gamma knife at HSC. More than 25 per cent of brain surgery patients there receive gamma knife treatment.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca