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What Are the Side Effects of Stereotactic Radiosurgery?

March 11, 2020
This post was originally published on this site

How is stereotactic radiosurgery performed?

SRS is usually an outpatient procedure, but it might take a whole day though the actual procedure may take an hour or more. 

Preparation:

Before the SRS a patient needs to

refrain from eating and drinking starting at 12 a.m. on the day of the treatment,

check with the doctor if their regular medications may be taken, and

inform the doctor if they have any implanted devices.

Procedure:

SRS involves a lot of CT and MRI imaging to precisely locate the tumor. A specialized team of doctors work together to perform the SRS, including a radiation oncologist and a neurosurgeon.

SRS is mostly done without general anesthesia except in children.

An intravenous (IV) line might be attached to the patient to keep them hydrated with fluids.

For a brain-related SRS a headframe is attached to the patient’s head with 4 pins to keep it immobile.

A soft mask may be placed on the face in case doctors need to protect it from the radiation.

The patient must lie still during the procedure, but will be able to talk to the attending doctors through the microphone.

The doctors monitor the procedure on imaging screens to deliver the radiation to the precise location.

The patient will be under observation for up to two hours after the procedure, sometimes longer.

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