Elekta Announces Clinical Start-Up of New Leksell Gamma Knife(R) Perfexion(T...( ATLANTA Oct. 23 /- UPMC Presbyter...),Health

ATLANTA, Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- UPMC Presbyterian's Center for Image-Guided Neurosurgery, a leading radiosurgery center in the U.S., successfully has commenced patient treatments with Leksell Gamma Knife(R) Perfexion(TM) from Elekta.

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Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion is the latest and most advanced solution on the market for non-invasive treatment of brain disorders and this highly innovative system was first used at UPMC on September 28. Immediately, UPMC was able to make full use of the new system and the center now is treating on average three patients, with full course treatments, per day.

Gamma Knife(R) surgery is used to treat numerous neurosurgical conditions, including brain tumors such as metastatic cancer, as well as vascular malformations and certain functional disorders. This unmatched method provides pinpoint accuracy, high efficiency and outstanding results. Patients benefit from fast, painless treatment, often conducted in an outpatient surgical setting without the need for general anesthesia or even convalescence. To this date, about 500,000 patients have undergone Gamma Knife surgery.

L. Dade Lunsford, M.D., F.A.C.S., is Lars Leksell Professor of Neurosurgery and Distinguished Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. He has served more than 25 years as a consultant to Elekta, and assisted in the development of the Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion.

"Dr. Douglas Kondziolka and I are experienced neurosurgeons who have worked with the Leksell Gamma Knife in thousands of patients. We had the opportunity to participate in the design team created by Elekta, along with a small group of neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and engineers from the company," Dr. Lunsford says. "Elekta asked, 'If you could create the perfect radiosurgical tool, how would you desig
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