Canadian Medical Guide > Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment > Therapeutics > Radiotherapy > Radiosurgery Terms and Definitions

Radiosurgery

Medical Definition:	A stereotactic neurosurgery in which the usual rigid needles or probes are replaced with beams of ionizing radiation directed toward an intracranial target so as to achieve local tissue destruction. No skin incision or skull opening is required. It is performed with the "gamma knife", a self-contained unit with 201 cobalt-60 sources or with an isocentric linear accelerator (linac). (Goodman, M.L., Southern Medical Journal, vol. 83, May 1990, pp. 551-4)
Guide Notes:	IM; a specific type of stereotactic brain surg; do not confuse with COMBINED MODALITY THERAPY (see note there) using surg + radiother; coord IM with dis /surg (IM), not /radiother; gamma knife & linear accelerator: index under RADIOSURGERY /instrum & do n
Also Called:	Gamma Knife Radiosurgery,Radiosurgery, Linear Accelerator
Previously Indexed:	Stereotaxic Techniques (1971-1991)

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