What IS X-knife treatment?

         This is a state of the art radiosurgery system, which includes stereotactic instruments and planning computers, coupled with a liner accelerator radiotherapy equipment. A specially collimated beam of X-ray is targeted to treat brain disorders, while avoiding any critical structures in the brain. The X-knife is helpful in the treatment of both cancerous and non-cancerous disease of the brain. It is fairly a safe procedure  and often avoids complications and inconveniences of an open surgery. The patient remains conscious during the treatment and can go home the next day.

          Recently, a team of doctors at Mumbais’ Jaslok Hospital performed an X-knife procedure on an 18 years old girl with a small brain lesion, called Arterio Venous Malformation (AVM). She was suffering from headache and weakness of limbs for over a year. Her bleeding inside the brain could have become life threatening. With the use of an “invisible blade” of radiation, it is expected that the patient will be cured without undergoing an operation.