Gamma Knife Surgery and Its Side Effects

Gamma knife surgery is a non-invasive treatment method. After gamma knife surgery, some tumors may disappear quickly, but recurrence may occur several months later. Additionally, gamma knife surgery also has certain side effects, so it is necessary to carefully consider when choosing this treatment option. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, headache, hair loss, radiation-induced lung injury, and severe immune dysfunction. Let's take a closer look at these side effects of gamma knife surgery.

1. Headache and Dizziness

Gamma knife surgery is highly accurate with small margins of error. It has become increasingly widely used in the treatment of tumors. After treatment, some patients may experience headache and dizziness. However, these symptoms are temporary and usually disappear within a few days.

2. Nausea and Vomiting

Many patients experience nausea and vomiting during gamma knife surgery, which may lead to loss of appetite and inability to eat. The severity of these symptoms varies from person to person and usually resolves gradually as the treatment progresses.

3. Hair Loss

Radiation to the head can cause varying degrees of hair loss in some patients. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that radiation therapy is harmful and can deplete yin and qi. Therefore, treatment should focus on nourishing yin and qi, clearing heat and lubricating the lungs, and tonifying qi and blood. Using traditional Chinese medicine during lung cancer radiation therapy can achieve both local and systemic treatment goals, reduce side effects, and improve outcomes.

4. Radiation-Induced Lung Injury

Radiation-induced lung injury includes lung fibrosis and pneumonia. Lung fibrosis usually occurs several months after appropriate radiation therapy for lung cancer. The main symptoms include shortness of breath, dry cough, secondary infection with fever, and coughing up yellow mucus. Most cases of acute radiation pneumonitis occur at doses above 40GY. The main symptoms are cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, and fever.

5. Severe Decline in Immune Function

Gamma radiation can also interfere with and disrupt the normal immune function of the body. This can lead to symptoms such as numbness and motor dysfunction. A few patients may experience neurological symptoms such as motor dysfunction and local numbness weeks or months after radiation exposure.