More than anything, she wanted to be free from the constant pressure in her head sapping the energy and enthusiasm with which she usually tackled life. One day she read about the Gamma Knife in a brochure in the hospital s waiting room. The minute I read that brochure, I wanted to know more, she said. I spend a lot of time on the Internet, so I went right home and began doing more research on the Gamma Knife. Gamma Knife surgery is not really surgery, so no incisions are made in the head.
Patients remain conscious during the entire treatment and experience little or no discomfort.
The Gamma Knife is ideal for tumors like Delores that are less than 4 to 5 cm. With a Gamma Knife treatment, she would be able to return to her daily routine within 24 to 48 hours. Alternative to surgery Delores met with Dr. Thomas Gennarelli, professor and chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery for the Medical College of Wisconsin Clinic at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. After studying Delores MRI and CAT images, Gennarelli determined she indeed was a good candidate for the Gamma Knife procedure. The Gamma Knife is a real tool for a tumor like this that we couldn t treat before, he said.