Information for Rotating Gamma Patients

Before Treatment

• Your doctor identifies a brain tumor or diagnoses your brain disorder or abnormality
• Your doctor refers you to Beverly Oncology & Imaging for radiosurgery – an alternative, or follow-up, to open-skull surgery
• Our staff coordinates with the doctors and your availability to schedule the next available appointment

On the Day of Treatment

• The staff and nurse will greet you and review the procedure you are about to undergo; a family member or friend is welcome to join you for the day.
• The neurosurgeon will affix a positioning headframe to the outside of your head; this stabilizes you during the procedure and maximizes targeting accuracy.
• The nurse will escort you to the MRI room where an image is taken of your brain which is now outlined by the external headframe.
• The medical physicist will use the MRI’s picture of your brain to develop a treatment plan.
• You will lie on your back on the Rotating Gamma System bed. You will then be automatically maneuvered into the machine.
• The radiation oncologist will operate the Rotating Gamma System remotely and talk you through the procedure; the actual radiation procedure takes on average between 30 minutes and 2 hours.

After Treatment

• You will return home on the same day as your treatment; you will need a friend or family member to drive you and assist you that day.
• Many patients can return to work or daily activities the day after treatment.
• Recovery times vary; some patients experience immediate improvements, while others may take longer to notice results.
• You will follow up with your neurosurgeon and doctor to track your recovery and progress, following the RGS procedure.