ATLANTA, Ga. — Patients with brain tumors and other neurological conditions have access to a highly targeted, non-invasive treatment option at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital.
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Piedmont physicians are using the Elekta Esprit Gamma Knife, an advanced radiosurgery system that treats brain tumors and other abnormalities without traditional surgery. The hospital is home to one of only a few of the devices in Georgia.
Despite its name, Gamma Knife is not a surgical procedure. The technology uses 192 precisely focused radiation beams that converge on a targeted area of the brain, allowing doctors to treat tumors and other conditions while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.
Unlike conventional brain surgery, the treatment requires no incisions, no general anesthesia and little recovery time, allowing most patients to return home the same day.
Doctors use Gamma Knife to treat a variety of conditions, including brain tumors, brain metastases, trigeminal neuralgia, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and other neurological disorders.
“Gamma Knife radiosurgery represents a significant advancement in how we treat complex brain conditions,” said Dr. Wally Curran, chief of Piedmont Oncology. “Its precision allows us to effectively treat tumors and other disorders while protecting what matters most—our patients’ cognitive function and quality of life.”
Piedmont also partners with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to provide Gamma Knife treatment for select pediatric patients with complex brain conditions. Physicians say the collaboration has become one of the nation’s largest and most experienced pediatric Gamma Knife programs.
During treatment, patients remain awake and the procedure is typically painless, with physicians using advanced imaging to precisely target the affected area while preserving surrounding brain tissue.
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