The program includes:
- Initial presentation in the clinic
- clinical history taking
- review of medical records
- physical examination
- laboratory tests:
- complete blood count
- general urine analysis
- biochemical analysis of blood
- TSH-basal, fT3, fT4
- tumor markers
- inflammation indicators
- indicators of blood coagulation
- ultrasound scan
- CT/MRI scan
- course of radiotherapy
- control examinations
- nursing services
- full hospital accommodation
- consultations of related specialists
- explanation of individual treatment plan
How program is carried out
During the first visit, the doctor will conduct a clinical examination and go through the results of previous laboratory tests and instrumental examinations. After that, you will undergo an additional examination, including complete blood count, laboratory assessment of liver and kidney function. Based on the received results, the physician will conduct radiotherapy planning with the help of CT or MRI, make the permanent tattoo marks on the skin and conduct CT simulation in order to assess the accuracy of the rays and the radiation dose. If necessary, related medical specialists will be involved in the elaboration of a treatment regimen (tumor board).
Radiation therapy is carried out as the inpatient procedure, with mandatory admission to the hospital. Before each session the physician will assess your general condition and the marks on the skin. After that, you will be placed in a shielded radiation therapy room, on a special table.
Each radiation therapy session lasts less than half an hour (including preparation). All this time, doctors and nurses are monitoring your condition, you can communicate with them through a loudspeaker. The procedure is completely painless. Depending on the planned course of treatment, you will have from 1 to 3-5 sessions of radiation therapy a week.
After the completion of the radiation therapy course, you will undergo control examinations aimed at assessing your condition and efficacy of treatment. After that you will receive the medical report with detailed recommendations regarding further follow-up and treatment. In the future, you will be able to have a distant consultation with your attending physician and schedule the next course of treatment, if necessary.
Required documents
- Medical records
- MRI/CT scan, PET scan (if available)
Service
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About the department
The Gamma Knife and Radiotherapy Center Krefeld specializes in the stereotactic radiosurgical treatment and stereotactic radiotherapy for benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck, vascular malformations, as well as metastases in various organs (for example, in the liver, lungs, spine). The center has state-of-the-art equipment for stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiation therapy – Perfexion Gamma Knife and Axesse Linear Accelerator. The center is headed by Dr. med. Gerhard Horstmann.
Founded in 1998, the center enjoys an excellent reputation both in professional circles and among patients from all over the world. Since its opening, more than 3,500 outpatient and inpatient stereotactic radiosurgical operations with the Gamma Knife and more than 7,000 successful stereotactic radiation therapy courses have been performed here.
Due to the high accuracy and effectiveness of the intervention, the Gamma Knife method is recognized as the "gold standard" of modern surgery. A single procedure, which is usually outpatient, without hospitalization, is enough to provide effective treatment. The procedure is preceded by either tomography (CT, NMR) or angiography to precisely determined the area to be exposed, after which an individual radiation plan is created with the help of a specialized computer system for radiation planning. To do this, during the tomography or angiography, a special "stereotaxic frame" with a coordinate system is additionally used – this allows to fix the location of the tumor or metastases with the best possible accuracy. The obtained coordinates are carefully observed during the Gamma Knife radiation, which eliminates errors when directing the beam. For more precise development of the radiation plan, in particular, when working with the Axesse Linear Accelerator, doctors can form 3D and 4D images of the necessary parts of the body, which is another unique feature of stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy offered in the center.
The most important peculiarity of this center lies in the innovative technologies of targeted radiotherapy, thanks to which healthy tissues can be completely removed from the radiation zone. At the same time, tumors and their metastases can be removed with an accuracy of up to 0,3 mm, which makes it possible to consider radiation therapy the "gold standard" and the completely independent treatment method for oncological diseases.
The Perfexion Gamma Knife and Axesse Linear Accelerator, which are used in the center, provide patients with a number of advantages over conventional surgical procedures for the removal of tumors and metastases:
- Just a single treatment procedure is enough.
- High, but extremely targeted, radiation dose – in a millimeter from the Gamma Knife beam, ionizing radiation becomes safe for the surrounding healthy tissues.
- Non invasive procedure – lack of trepanation.
- Non-traumatic procedure – there is no need to make skin incisions, drainage installation, etc.
- Lack of risks due to the surgical intervention – bleeding, traumatization of vital centers of the brain, etc.
- Minimal side effects due to irradiation (nausea, vomiting, headache) that only last for several days.
- Short period of time to perform the procedure – from 45 to 120 minutes, depending on the type of tumor and its location.
- An outpatient procedure or a short hospital stay for follow-up after treatment.
- Possibility of conducting a repeated procedure in the development of a tumor in another part of the body.
- Lack of the need for rehabilitation after treatment, the opportunity to quickly return to everyday life.
The center employs highly qualified surgeons, radiologists and a caring medical staff, who always response a patient and take into account their wishes.
In addition, the center is the only medical facility in the world with the quality management of the entire medical treatment process, including its results.
The service range of the center includes the treatment of the following diseases:
- Brain tumors
- Meningiomas
- Acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannomas)
- Neurinomas of other cranial nerves (for example, of the facial one)
- Pituitary adenomas (microadenomas, macroadenomas)
- Chordomas
- Chondrosarcomas
- And other types of tumors
- Head / neck cancer
- Jaw tumors
- Salivary gland tumors
- Tongue tumors
- Pharyngeal and laryngeal tumors
- Tumors of the cervical esophagus
- Tumors of the nose and paranasal sinuses
- And other types of tumors
- Vascular malformations
- Arteriovenous malformation
- Glomus tumors of the head
- Cavernous hemangiomas
- And other types of tumors
- Eye and orbital tumors
- Melanoma
- Choroidal hemangioma
- Conjunctival tumors
- Eyelid tumors
- Orbital tumors
- And other types of tumors
- Tumors of other localizations
- Prostate cancer
- Lung cancer in the early stages
- Spinal tumors
- And other types of tumors
- Metastases
- Brain metastases
- Head and neck metastases
- Orbital metastases
- Lung metastases
- Spinal cord metastases
- Liver metastases
- Spinal metastases
- Metastases of more rare localizations
- Functional disorders
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- And other diseases
Photo of the doctor: (c) Gamma Knife Zentrum Krefeld
About hospital
The Gamma Knife and Radiotherapy Center Krefeld is an advanced medical complex, which specializes in stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiation therapy for tumors and metastases. The center has at its disposal two cutting-edge irradiation devices – the Perfexion Gamma Knife and the Axesse Linear Accelerator, which help provide a high-precision and maximally sparing stereotactic radiosurgery and radiation therapy. Since the opening of the center in 1998, a qualified team of its specialists has provided an effective medical care to more than 7,000 patients.
The center’s Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion (the most modern model of the Gamma Knife), which has been available here since 2009, is the most advanced device in the world for the radiosurgical treatment of tumors and vascular anomalies in the head and neck. This Gamma Knife model is improved with regard to the power and accuracy of radiation, dosage and uniformity of dose distribution within the tumor, the duration of treatment and the comfort of the procedure, which makes the treatment even more effective. The equipment occupies a separate building of the center, since it weighs more than 18 tons and requires special qualification of the specialists working with it.
To perform stereotactic radiotherapy, the center uses Axesse Linear Accelerator. Axesse is a robotic system that, unlike the Gamma Knife, is effectively used in the treatment of metastases not only in the brain, but also in the liver, lungs, spine and prostate. Axesse is an open device with a minimal noise level during the procedure, which provides patients with extra comfort.
The peculiarity of this center lies in the innovative technologies of targeted radiotherapy, thanks to which healthy tissues can be completely removed from the radiation zone. At the same time, tumors and their metastases can be removed with an accuracy of up to 0,3 mm, which makes it possible to consider radiation therapy a "gold standard" and a completely independent treatment method for oncological diseases.
Since its foundation, the center has implemented a quality management system, which was further confirmed by the ISO 9001 international certificate received in 2001. Therefore, the health facility is the first and one of the few centers in the world, in which the quality management system covers not only the quality of services, but also the entire treatment process, including monitoring of its results and subsequent follow-up care.
Photo: (c) depositphotos
Accommodation in hospital
Patients rooms
The patient rooms of the Gamma Knife and Radiotherapy Center Krefeld are equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable stay in the center. The patient rooms are equipped with a shower, a bathroom, functional beds with an orthopedic mattress, thanks to which the patient can relieve tension from the entire body during sleep. Also, each patient room has a locker for personal belongings and valuables, bedside cabinets with a pull-out table, TV and the possibility of connecting PC, smartphone or tablet to the Internet.
The patient may choose between single and double patient rooms. When choosing a single patient room, an accompanying person may stay with the patient. A double patient room is shared with the patient of the same sex.
The enhanced comfort rooms are equipped with a safe, a fridge and upholstered furniture.
Meals and Menus
The patient and the accompanying person are offered a daily choice of three menus. If the patient is on a specific diet for any reason, the medical staff will offer the patient an alternative individual menu. Please inform the medical staff about your dietary preferences prior to treatment.
Further details
Standard rooms include:
Religion
The religious services can be provided upon request.
Accompanying person
During the inpatient program, an accompanying person may stay with you in the patient room or at a hotel. Our managers will help you choose the most suitable option of a hotel.
Hotel
During the outpatient program, the patient may stay at the hotel for your choice. Our managers will help you choose the most suitable option.