Gamma Knife Center

Gamma Knife radiosurgery uses focused radiation to target brain and pituitary tumors, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), acoustic neuromas and other conditions. No knife or scalpel is used. Our world-class Gamma Knife Center offers safe, effective gamma knife treatment in a single session. 

Regular brain surgery exposes the brain to a number of risks that Gamma Knife helps avoid:

• Long hospital stays
• Lengthy rehabilitation
• Damage to healthy brain tissue
• Surgical complications, like hemorrhage, infection and cerebral spinal fluid leak
• General anesthesia dangers
• Other physical trauma and disruption of normal brain function

Used for decades, Gamma Knife has been proven safe. Many insurance plans cover treatment. Doctors and patients worldwide consider Gamma Knife the treatment of choice for several brain conditions, especially when normal surgery fails or is not an option.

Latest Gamma Knife Treatment Offering

Our latest offering at UVA is the Extend^TM system for Gamma Knife, which allow us to treat cancers of the head and neck and lesions that we were previously unable to treat with Gamma Knife. This includes patients with large benign skull base tumors, multiple brain tumors or tumors too close to critical areas like the eye. With Extend, the patient's head is immobilized with a noninvasive frame that's easily detached and relocated. Learn more about Extend for Gamma Knife (PDF).