Gamma Knife Radiation Therapy: Nursing Perspectives and Care Strategies

Abstract

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery (GKRS) nursing involves meticulous pre-procedure care, including medication management, patient education on headframe placement (local anaesthesia, pins), and continuous monitoring (vitals, oxygen) during the focused radiation delivery, emphasizing patient comfort and managing anxiety through the non-invasive, outpatient process. Nurses act as vital liaisons, coordinating care from planning to follow-up, managing potential side effects like swelling with steroids, and supporting patients through the precise, image-guided treatment for brain tumors, metastases, and functional disorders, aiming for minimal healthy tissue damage and quick recovery. Key nursing roles center on patient advocacy, safety, education, monitoring, and providing crucial psychological support during this highly technical yet minimally invasive neurosurgical procedure. Gamma Knife nurses provide comprehensive care from pre-procedure education and assessment, through intra-procedure monitoring (vitals, comfort, safety), to post-procedure care, managing side effects, and coordinating follow-ups, acting as a vital link between patients, families, and the multidisciplinary team (neurosurgeons, physicists) for precise stereotactic radiosurgery. Their role involves patient preparation (e.g., special shampoo, fasting), constant vital sign monitoring (BP, EKG, O2), assisting with head frame placement, patient/family support, and ensuring equipment quality and data accuracy for treatments of brain conditions.