Known as neurosurgery without a knife, stereotactic and functional neurosurgery is changing the way neurosurgery is performed by offering minimally invasive and highly effective treatment options for many difficult neurological disorders and diseases.
In 1998, Yale New Haven opened Connecticut's first dedicated stereotactic radiosurgery center using a dedicated gamma knife - a neurosurgical tool that has revolutionized treatment of many brain tumors and blood vessel malformations. In addition to being able to treat brain lesions, at Yale New Haven Hospital, stereotactic radiosurgery is being used with great success to treat patients with certain types of movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia.
State-of-the-art equipment maps the targeted area within the skull as well as the optimal route to reach it - essential to mapping treatment areas so that healthy tissue is spared. No incisions are required, and the procedures are without the risks associated with conventional neurosurgery. General anesthesia is not required, and no incision means no risk of hemorrhage or infection.
Each patient is thoroughly screened by a multidisciplinary care team that includes neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry, before surgical intervention is recommended.
