Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Howrah on August 17 launched X Knife Radiosurgery Clinic for bloodless Stereotactic Radiosurgery of brain tumors.

The surgery is done by using X knife (focused X-ray) using state-of-the-art linear accelerator for non-invasive treatment of brain tumors with sub-milimetre accuracy, aided by 3D image guidance. It is a day care procedure with quick recovery and less complication for the patients.

Dr Suman Mallik, Chief Radiation Oncologist, Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Howrah said, “Radiation is commonly used for cancer treatment, but it can also be used for treatment of benign tumors & other kinds of non- cancer cases as well. With modern X Knife & Gamma knife technologies, such diseases in vulnerable / difficult-to-reach locations can be treated without any incision.”

“In some cases, the aim is to obliterate the tumor (brain metastases from cancer elsewhere in the body & arteriovenous malformation), whereas in others, it is required to stop progression of the lesion & thereby achieve symptom control (benign tumors, & functional lesions, such as trigeminal neuralgia),” Dr Mallik said.

Fifty seven years old Rekha Ghosh from Howrah complained of sudden unconsciousness & imbalance during walking, along with decreased hearing in the left ear, abnormal sound sensation and seizure attacks. She was brought to Narayana Superspeciality Hospital Howrah and clinical examination revealed Left Vestibular Schwannoma, a non-cancerous tumor in the brain. She was treated with Stereotactic Radiosurgery without any incision. She went back home the same day and is now doing well with no disease symptoms.

Dr. Nilay Biswas, Consultant Neuro Surgery, Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Howrah said “Brain tumor surgery has undergone a paradigm shift. The focus is now more on safe maximal resection i.e removing as much as tumor possible without causing harm to the patient. Here comes the role of radiosurgery.”

“Radiosurgery enables us to treat brain tumors less than 3 cm in size without any incision and blood loss. It also helps to treat conditions like trigeminal neuralgia, vascular anomalies. It avoids the risks associated with open surgery,” Dr Biswas said. Akshay Oleti, Facility Director, Narayana Superspeciality Hospital Howrah, said, “We, at Narayana Superspeciality Hospital Howrah, are focused on bringing new techniques in medical treatment. Radiosurgery is one such, which was unavailable to patients in this part of the country earlier. Thanks to the Multi-disciplinary team of doctors, we are continuously taking up challenging protocols, providing high-quality treatment and excellent success rates.”