Radiosurgery

In stereotactic radiosurgery, a neurosurgeon focuses beams of high-energy radiation on a child's tumor or malformation while leaving the nearby tissues unaffected. Three tools that can be used to generate the radiation include:

• a gamma knife
• a linear accelerator
• a proton beam

After your child's treatment, her affected blood vessels gradually wither and close down.

• There is no cutting involved in radiosurgery.
• Radiosurgery is different from radiation therapy, which occurs over several sessions and often entails severe side effects.