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.
