It all begins with your consultation. You meet with a neurosurgeon or radiation oncologist to discuss your condition, your medical history and your treatment options.

When you arrive for your treatment, your physician places the stereotactic head frame on your head. The frame and mask keep your head from moving during your imaging / treatment sessions, allowing for pinpoint treatment accuracy

While you are positioned in the head frame or mask, images are captured to enable the most effective treatment plan possible. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) or angiography images help define the exact target, which is vital to accurate treatment planning.

Once your images are captured, your physician works with a specialised medical physicist to calculate exactly how the treatment should be performed – the number of beams and where they must intersect to deliver the most effective treatment while protecting surrounding tissue and structures.

When it is time for your treatment, you are positioned on the treatment couch for treatment. Your head frame or face mask is then secured to the couch. The treatment may last from a few minutes to more than an hour, depending on the size, shape, and complexity of the target(s) being treated. The treatment itself is painless—in fact, some patients even fall asleep. You can communicate with your treatment team at any time.