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Stereotactic radiosurgery - Recovery

Alternative Names

Gamma knife; Cyberknife

Expectations after surgery:

The effects of radiosurgery may take weeks or months to be seen. Your health care provider will monitor your progress using imaging tests such as MRI and CT scans.

Convalescence:

Recovery depends on many factors, including your overall health and the condition being treated. If you had a frame, the pins that held the frame in place will be removed. You may feel some discomfort where the pins used to be. Bandages may be placed over the pin sites.

Most people go back to their regular activities the next day, if there are no complications such as swelling. Some patients are kept in the hospital overnight for monitoring.

  • Reviewed last on: 4/10/2008
  • Benjamin Taragin, MD, Department of Radiology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY. Review Provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Townsend CM, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery, 17th ed. St. Louis, Mo: WB Saunders; 2004:2164-2166.

Goldman L, Ausiello D. Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 22nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2004:2353.

DeAngelis LM. Tumors of the Central Nervous System and Intracranial Hypertension and Hypotension. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D. Goldman: Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 199.

Zivin JA. Hemorrhagic Cerbrovascular Disease. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D. Goldman: Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 432.

Romanelli P, Anschel DJ. Radiosurgery for epilepsy. Lancet Neurol. 2006;5:613-620.

Kavanagh BD, Timmerman RD. Stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy: an overview of technical considerations and clinical applications. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2006;20:87-95.