Radiosurgery
Radiosurgery is a type of medical treatment that uses radiation to treat certain medical conditions without having to do surgery. It is called "surgery" because it is meant to be a precise treatment and can be done in one or just a few sessions, but there is no cutting involved.
Radiation is the energy in the form of waves or particles that can pass through different materials, including the human body. In radiosurgery, a machine called a "linear accelerator" is used to focus high-energy radiation beams on the area of the body that needs treatment, such as a tumor or abnormal blood vessels.
The radiation beams are carefully aimed and delivered in a way that only affects the targeted area, while sparing the surrounding healthy tissues as much as possible. This is important because radiation can also damage healthy tissues and cause side effects, so the goal is to minimize those risks.
Radiosurgery can be used to treat different types of benign and malignant tumors, including brain tumors, lung cancer, liver tumors, and prostate cancer, among others. It may also be used to treat non-cancerous conditions such as arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), trigeminal neuralgia, and acoustic neuromas.
Radiosurgery typically requires some preparation and planning, including imaging studies such as CT scans or MRI, as well as marking the treatment area with special alignment frames or masks. During the treatment, the patient may need to lie still on a table while the linear accelerator moves around them and delivers the radiation dose.
After the treatment, the patient may experience some side effects such as fatigue, skin reactions, or mild headaches, but these usually go away on their own. Follow-up visits and imaging studies may be needed to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment and check for any possible long-term effects.
In summary, radiosurgery is a medical treatment that uses radiation to accurately target and treat specific areas of the body without surgery, and may be used to treat a variety of medical conditions, including tumors and other abnormalities.
Radiation is the energy in the form of waves or particles that can pass through different materials, including the human body. In radiosurgery, a machine called a "linear accelerator" is used to focus high-energy radiation beams on the area of the body that needs treatment, such as a tumor or abnormal blood vessels.
The radiation beams are carefully aimed and delivered in a way that only affects the targeted area, while sparing the surrounding healthy tissues as much as possible. This is important because radiation can also damage healthy tissues and cause side effects, so the goal is to minimize those risks.
Radiosurgery can be used to treat different types of benign and malignant tumors, including brain tumors, lung cancer, liver tumors, and prostate cancer, among others. It may also be used to treat non-cancerous conditions such as arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), trigeminal neuralgia, and acoustic neuromas.
Radiosurgery typically requires some preparation and planning, including imaging studies such as CT scans or MRI, as well as marking the treatment area with special alignment frames or masks. During the treatment, the patient may need to lie still on a table while the linear accelerator moves around them and delivers the radiation dose.
After the treatment, the patient may experience some side effects such as fatigue, skin reactions, or mild headaches, but these usually go away on their own. Follow-up visits and imaging studies may be needed to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment and check for any possible long-term effects.
In summary, radiosurgery is a medical treatment that uses radiation to accurately target and treat specific areas of the body without surgery, and may be used to treat a variety of medical conditions, including tumors and other abnormalities.