Stereotactic Radiosurgery, or SRS, is a non-invasive treatment technique originally developed to treat small, deep brain tumors. Now it can be used for a wider array of problems in the brain as well as the body. SRS is not true surgery because no cutting is involved. Instead, it is an advanced method of radiation therapy that delivers very strong doses of radiation to very small area, killing a small group of cells very effectively. Sometimes, surgery is not possible to treat a disease due to the location of the problem or the poor health of the patient. Brain tumors, blood vessel issues, and some nervous system conditions are very difficult to address with a scalpel. Stereotactic Radiosurgery may be used to treat some of these problems. A few notable benefits to SRS are:

• There are no incisions, no stitches, and therefore, no post-surgical recovery time.
• SRS is performed on an outpatient basis, so the patient can usually resume normal activities following treatment.
• Treatment is delivered in one to five sessions.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery is a type of radiation therapy that is very precise and very powerful. Instead of many doses of radiation therapy to treat a problem area, SRS usually consist of a single treatment of a very high dose of radiation in a very focused location. Sometimes, it may consist of a few treatments and can be used in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiation. Problem areas that are hard to reach, close to vital organs, or may move within the body are treated with this method. Examples of problems that can be addressed with SRS include:

• Deep brain tumors or residual tumor cells after surgery
• Pituitary tumors
• Cancers of the eye
• Arteriovenous malformations (tangled blood vessels that leak and disrupt normal blood flow)
• Neurological problems, such as trigeminal neuralgia
• Tumors in the lung, liver, abdomen, spine, prostate, head and neck
• Parkinson’s disease
• Epilepsy