We offer effective treatments for a variety of benign conditions including Trigeminal Neuralgia and Acoustic Neuromas.
Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN)
Trigeminal neuralgia is a debilitating chronic pain syndrome that can be difficult to control. After years of medical treatment without relief, many patients seek more aggressive treatment options. These include surgery with microvascular decompression or rhizotomy and Stereotactic Radiosurgery. CyberKnife is a non-invasive alternative to surgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia. High-dose radiation is accurately delivered to the trigeminal nerve to induce pain relief. The procedure is painless and typically performed in one outpatient treatment session. Unlike other stereotactic radiation therapy treatments for TN, the CyberKnife does not use a rigid metal frame secured to the patient’s head with screws. Instead, TN patients wear a comfortable mesh face mask. The CyberKnife delivers hundreds of highly concentrated and incredibly precise beams of radiation targeted directly to the trigeminal sensory nerve root, interrupting the transmission of pain signals to the brain.
Acourstin Neuroma (Schwannomas)
Acoustic neuromas are benign tumors of the brain. They are slow-growing tumors that can affect the seventh and eighth cranial nerves in a part of the brain known as the cerebellar-pontine angle, or CPA. They are often associated with progressive hearing loss and facial weakness and balance problems. Treatment options include surgical removal which may sacrifice hearing and radiosurgery which is non-invasive and has been used to treat Acoustic Neuromas for more than 20 years.
CyberKnife is a non-invasive alternative to surgery for Acoustic Neuroma. High-dose radiation is accurately delivered to the acoustic neuroma in 3-5 treatments to shrinkage or stop further growth. Compared to surgery, this type of CyberKnife treatment is associated with a high hearing preservation rate and low rates of damage to the facial nerve in modern series. Since the CyberKnife can deliver treatments of 3-5 treatments compared to traditional radiosurgery, risk of serious side effects are expected to be lower while maintaining effective tumor control.