Fractionated Gamma Knife Surgery: Long-Term Results and Patient Outcomes for Intracranial Lesions.

Abstract

Background: Fractionated gamma knife surgery (f-GKS) is an effective and safe procedure for treating various intracranial lesions, including pituitary adenomas and meningiomas. It offers noninvasive treatment with short hospitalization periods. This study aims to assess the long-term outcomes of f-GKS in patients at the Iran Gamma Knife Center (IGKC).

Methods: This cross-sectional study examined patients who underwent at least 2 GKS sessions between 2011 and 2018. Lesion sizes in 2-dimensional slices were compared before and after the procedure. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS software Version 22.

Results: The study included 106 patients (32 male, 74 female), with a mean age of 49.95 ± 16.6 years. The follow-up period was 24.98 ± 19.01 months. The most common pathology was meningioma, with f-GKS typically performed 3 times at 1-day intervals. The median change in lesion area was 185.67 mm². Out of 36 patients at the last visit, 26 (72.2%) showed improved prognosis. The maximum radiation dose used was 13.05 ± 5.21 Gy. The pathology coverage was 98.69% ± 2.15%, with a mean and mode of 99%.

Conclusion: In this study, we examined various factors, including lesion levels from brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging findings, patient prognosis, and changes after f-GKS. Our results confirm those of previous studies, highlighting the significant role of noninvasive GKS in improving patient prognosis and reducing tumor size.