Physics

Not a bad little burp?

In these slides, the linear accelerator is being used in a procedure called stereotactic radiosurgery. This procedure was used to treat an arterio-venous malformation located in the right side of the brain. There were three aneurisms in the vein.

Surgery was considered more dangerous and that is why stereotactic radiosurgery was chosen. This was performed at the Prince of Wales hospital in Sydney under the watchful eye of a team led by Dr Robert Smee. The head-ring was on for 13.5 hours. After they bolted it on, they conducted a digital angiogram and CT scan so that modelling software could be used to give a 3-D representation of the area due for radiosurgery, and the best method and directions of attack.

For the treatment,the patient was located under the linear accelerator so that the malformation was at the centre of rotation. The radiation was then directed in an arc of up to 160 degrees, so that it was all focussed on the area to be damaged, which eventually (after about three years), led to scarring and therefore blockage of the AVM, which means no more risk of aneurism.