Contact Information
West Virginia University
Department of Neurosurgery
PO Box 9183
Morgantown, WV 26506-9183
304-293-5041
Medical Access & Referral System (MARS):
800-WVA-MARS
800-982-6277
Clinic Appointments:
304-598-4890
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Watch the Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Video
Brain Surgery Without an Incision
The Gamma Knife is an advanced tool for the treatment of benign and malignant tumors, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), facial pain and other functional brain disorders.
It is not actually a knife, but a 20-ton medical instrument that emits 201 finely focused beams of gamma radiation. These beams simultaneously intersect at the precise location of the brain disorder and treat it with minimal effect on surrounding normal tissue, and without the risks of surgery or an incision.
WVU's acquisition of a Gamma Knife has greatly increased our ability to provide the full range of advanced neurosurgical care to patients. Gamma Knife radiosurgery maximizes patient comfort and can treat lesions that were previously inaccessible or treated unsuccessfully by conventional surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
The surgeon's scalpel is replaced with a single, powerful dose of gamma radiation; a long hospital stay is replaced by an outpatient procedure; a lengthy recovery period is replaced by a quick return to normal activities.