Gamma Knife Center 

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery at MUSC Health: Why Choose Us? 

With MUSC Gamma Knife you benefit from: 

• An experienced team. We perform close to 500 radiosurgeries annually, making us one of the busiest centers in the country. Experience creates better outcomes.
• Comprehensive care: we are the only Gamma Knife Center in the state of South Carolina and our specialists remain part of your follow-up care after treatment.
• Pioneering Leadership: Radiosurgery has a long history at MUSC and our dedicated team of doctors and physicists have made Gamma Knife Radiosurgery a cornerstone of cancer treatment, treatment of various vascular and pain conditions since 2010.
• Convenience: Gamma Knife radiosurgery is a procedure provided jointly by a Neurosurgery and Radiation Oncology. Our nurse coordinators will work with you to schedule these doctors jointly for a better experience. They are also your contact persons for any questions or concerns. Our guest services staff can assist you with travel and lodging. 

Our radiation oncologists and gamma knife surgeons.

MUSC Health’s Gamma Knife Center offers patients the most complete range of noninvasive treatment options available. Along with gamma knife surgery, the center offers other advanced radiosurgery systems, state-of-the-art imaging technologies, and a dedicated team of specialists.

This team of radiation oncologists' and gamma knife surgeons' approach streamlines the process of evaluating each patient’s options, so the most appropriate course of treatment can be developed and initiated without unnecessary delay, confusion or anxiety.

Brain tumor care is coordinated with the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, South Carolina’s only NCI designated cancer center and the MUSC Health Radiation Medicine and Neuro-Oncology teams.

What is Gamma Knife radiosurgery?

Despite its name, Gamma Knife radiosurgery does not involve a knife or a surgical incision. The Gamma Knife delivers precise beams of radiation (gamma rays) to tumors and lesions deep within the brain. The rays destroy cells to keep the tumor from growing. Over time, the lesions shrink. 

Benefits of Gamma Knife radiosurgery include: 

• Pinpoint Accuracy: Gamma Knife radiosurgery – considered the gold standard of treatment for brain lesions – delivers radiation beams that match the size and shape of the tumor, greatly minimizing damage to surrounding healthy brain tissue. 
• Depth of Reach: The Gamma Knife’s precise focusing ability enables our doctors to treat previously inoperable, difficult-to-reach lesions deep within the brain or brain stem. Gamma Knife is also routinely used to treat the area of resection after surgery to decrease the risk of tumor recurrence.
• Less Invasive: Gamma rays travel through the skull. Because there is no skull incision, you won’t require a hospital stay. You’ll also benefit from a faster recovery, reduced risk of infection, lower likelihood of complications, and a quicker return to everyday activities. 
• Minimal Pain: You will receive a mild sedative to alleviate any discomfort. There is no need for anesthesia. 
• More Options: This minimally invasive, nonsurgical procedure is a good option for people who cannot undergo traditional brain surgery due to advanced age or illness. 

Conditions We Treat

• Brain metastases
• Meningioma
• Recurrent glioblastoma
• Arteriovenous malformation
• Acoustic Neuroma
• Trigeminal Neuralgia
• Essential Tremor