About 100,000 procedures worldwide have been performed to date. AVMs are tangles of blood vessels that can hemorrhage and cause stroke or death. These tangles, which previously could require multiple, open surgery procedures, can now be treated with a single, noninvasive procedure. Although the gamma knife can also treat disorders such as Parkinson's disease, tremors, and epilepsy, it is not presently covered by health insurance companies. NEMC surgeons perform about two procedures every day using the gamma knife, and recently the hospital finalized plans to build the Boston Gamma Knife Center, which will open in August.
Traditional surgery is still preferred and necessary in some cases.
Each has certain benefits. Doctors say a device similar to the gamma knife, called the Peacock, is not as accurate. While the gamma knife delivers one large, precise dose of radiation in a onetime treatment, the Peacock delivers multiple treatments once a day for several weeks. It uses intensity-modulated radiation therapy and can treat larger areas. NEMC is performing research to determine which treatment is less expensive and more effective in the long run.