Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is the home of North Carolina's only Leksell Gamma Knife. This device is the most precise method of treating a variety of brain lesions without an incision including:

• brain metastases from other tumors such as those arising in the breast, lung, or colon.
• brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs)
• trigeminal neuralgia
• primary brain tumors (glioma, astrocytoma, oliogodenroglioma)
• benign brain tumors (meningioma, acoustic neuroma)
• pituitary tumors (more than 5mm from the optic nerves)
• tremor (whether caused by Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, or other disorders)
• Phone: 1(866)713-3228 or (336)713-3228.

The Gamma Knife uses radiation with pinpoint accuracy to destroy tumors, vascular malformations and to create brain lesions in overactive regions that cause trigeminal neuralgia and tremor. For example, the Gamma Knife has changed the outlook for patients with brain metastases providing local control rates as high as 90%. It is also often the tretment of choice for inoperable brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Recently it has become the treatment of choice for trigeminal neuralgia because it relieves the intense pain of this condition without surgery and without the numbness caused by other treatments.



Since the Gamma Knife is ideal for small to medium size lesions because of its incredible accuracy, the Medical Center also continues to make available its linear-accelerator based radiosurgery system (LINAC-Scalpel) for larger lesions, those located outside of the range of the Gamma Knife, or those that will benefit from fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy. This makes Wake Forest one of the few Centers in the world to offer both technologies. This combination offers the potential to ideally treat lesions of any size and location in the head.

Edward G. Shaw, M.D., Professor and Chair of Radiation Oncology and J. Daniel Bourland, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology, and head of the Radiation Physics Section, helped establish a Gamma Knife Program at the Mayo Clinic in 1990. Stephen B. Tatter, M.D., Ph.D. a neurosurgeon and co-director of the Gamma Knife Center, was recruited from Harvard Medical School to oversee the new unit.

In addition, the Medical Center’s Gamma Knife team includes , Charles L. Branch Jr., M.D., Professor of Neurosurgery , Kenneth E. Ekstrand, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, Allan F. deGuzman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology, and Joyce Moser, R.N., N.P.-C, a certified nurse practitioner in the Department of Neurosurgery, Denise Sprinkle, B.S.R.T.-C.T. the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Stereotactic Coordinator, and Mr. Rodney Rogers, stereotactic technician.

Wake Forest University's Gamma Knife team is part of its Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program offering a multidisciplinary approach to treating people in a way that emphasizes aggressive lesion irradication and quality-of-life. For brain arteriovenous malformations (AVM) this goal is achieved by close collaboration with experts in the departments of Neurosurgery and Interventional Neuroradiology and uses the resources of the Wake Forest AVM Center.

For more information

For more information, call Health On-Call at (336) 716-2255 or 1-800-446-2255. Physicians may call the PAL line at 1-800-277-7654 to make a referral.

• Wake Forest University Gamma Knife Center FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
• Gamma Knife Radiosurgery--Opening the Door to Outpatient Brain Surgery. An article describing the experience of having an AVM treated with the Gamma Knife.
• Radiosurgery (Gamma Knife and Linear Accelerator) Index from Wake Forest Neurosurgery has extensive links to information and resources relating to stereotactic radiosurgery.

Other sources of information about treatment of brain tumors and arteriovenous malformations (AVM) and movement disorders including Parkinson's Disease and tremor:

• The Wake Forest Neurosurgery Brain Tumor Index has more information on the treatment of tumors of the brain or spine and support for patients, family, and other caregivers.
• The Wake Forest Neurosurgery Meningioma Index has more information on the treatment of benign tumors of the brain or spine such as meningioma and hemangioblastoma.
• The Wake Forest Neurosurgery Parkinson's Disease Index has more information on the treatment of movement disorders.
• Tremor Index links to information about essentia, familial, and other types ofl tremor
• The Wake Forest Neurosurgery Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) Index Homepage has more information on the treatment of arteriovenous malformations of the brain and spine.
• Wake Forest Neurosurgery Cranial Base / Acoustic Neuroma Index: Information on the treatment of tumors of the skull base, including cranial (e.g. acoustic or vestibular) nerve Schwannoma (neuroma).
• Wake Forest Neurosurgery Pituitary Tumor Index: Information on medical, surgical, and radiation therapy of pituitary adenomas.
• Wake Forest Neurosurgery Neurogenetics Index: Information on Neurofibromatosis type I (Von Recklinghausen's Disease), type II (bilateral vestibular schwannomatosis), Von Hippel-Lindau disease (hemangioblastoma) and tuberous sclerosis (subependymal giant cell astrocytoma).

Click on the Medical Center logo at right to go to the Medical School Homepage or the Neurosurgery logo at left to return to the Wake Forest Neurosurgery Homepage.
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000214 Stephen B. Tatter, M.D., Ph.D.