ATLANTA, and PEORIA, Ill., July 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The Illinois Neurological Institute (INI) at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center will soon install Leksell Gamma Knife(R) Perfexion(TM), the most advanced system for non-invasive radiosurgery. A revolutionary alternative to traditional open- brain surgery and daily radiation treatments, Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion uses focused doses of radiation without making a single incision to treat malignant and benign brain tumors, as well as, other brain disorders.
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The INI was the first Gamma Knife center to open in downstate Illinois, treated their first patient in 2001, and has since treated more than 650 patients to date.
“Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion allows automation of radiosurgery treatment without sacrificing accuracy,” says James L. McGee, M.D., Co-Director of the Gamma Knife Center at OSF St. Francis Medical Center. “The system also allows further dose-pattern refinement by increasing the use of smaller beams of greater number while targeting tumors in the brain, head and neck- the gold standard for radiosurgery just became a lot more valuable.”
Gamma Knife surgery is the world’s most widely used radiosurgery treatment due to its extraordinary accuracy, reduction of excess radiation dose to the body, extensive history and clinical documentation. Unlike other systems designed to treat the whole body, Leksell Gamma Knife specifically is designed to optimize treatment to the head - a fact appreciated by neurosurgeons and patients alike.
“Because it does not use a collimator helmet, Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion easily allows treatment of widely separate metastatic lesions with a single placement of a stereotactic frame,” says INI Neurosurgeon, Patrick Elwood, M.D. “The system also will allow treatment of lesions very low in the skull base and cervical spine.”
Building a Better Treatment System
Developed in conjunction with leading neurosurgeons, Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion is:
* Precision - thousands of radiation beams converge with a level of accuracy more than 0.5mm, about the thickness of a strand of hair, leaving nearby healthy tissue undamaged. * Proven - With almost 500,000 patients treated worldwide, and thousands of peer-reviewed scientific articles, the system has unmatched clinical experience. * Safe - Unwanted radiation dose to the body is up to 100 times less than that of competing technologies.
About Illinois Neurological Institute
Illinois Neurological Institute (INI) at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center provides a full spectrum of adult and pediatric care for illnesses affecting the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerve in a distinctive environment melding research, teaching and tertiary care medicine. For additional information, visit www.ilneuroinstitute.org.
About Elekta
Elekta is an international medical technology group, providing more than 4,000 hospitals worldwide with clinical solutions and comprehensive information systems for improved cancer care and management of brain disorders.
Elekta’s flagship products include Leksell Gamma Knife(R) for intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery and the image guided Elekta Axesse(TM) system for extracranial stereotactic radiosurgery for spine and body. All of Elekta’s solutions employ non-invasive or minimally invasive techniques and are therefore clinically effective, gentle on the patient and cost-effective. Elekta is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker EKTAb and the company head office is located in Stockholm, Sweden.
Related Links: Web site: http://www.elekta.com/ Web site: http://www.braintumortreatment.org/ Web site: http://www.irsa.org/
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