Despite its name, the Gamma Knife is not an actual knife, but a stereotactic radiosurgery device that has become a well-accepted standard of care for the minimally invasive treatment of inaccessible or inoperable brain abnormalities.

1. News From:
For Immediate Release October 8, 2014
Contact: Damian Becker, Manager of Media Relations
(516) 377-5370
LONG ISLAND GAMMA KNIFE® PERFEXION™ AT SOUTH NASSAU
COMMUNITIES HOSPITAL CAN TREAT MULTIPLE BRAIN METASTASES IN ONE
SESSION
Led by Drs. Michael Brisman and Edward Mullen, South Nassau’s Gamma Knife Center is
Most Experienced on Long Island
Oceanside, NY – The Long Island Gamma Knife® at South Nassau Communities Hospital,
which has been upgraded to the Perfexion, the latest advancement in Gamma Knife technology,
offers significant advantages over whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) for patients whose
cancer has metastasized to their brain. The Gamma Knife center at South Nassau is Long
Island’s most experienced, and is led by two of the region’s top experts in treating brain tumors
and other neurological disorders. Co-Medical Directors are Michael H. Brisman, M.D., F.A.C.S.,
who is also an attending neurosurgeon with the Neurological Surgery, P.C. private practice, and
radiation oncologist Edward E. Mullen, M.D., Director of Radiation Oncology at South Nassau
Communities Hospital.
“While the earlier version of the Gamma Knife offered major advantages over whole
brain irradiation, the speed and accuracy of the Perfexion system are unparalleled,” said Dr.
Brisman. “Up to ten metastases can be treated during one session, saving the patient precious
time and avoiding delays in starting chemotherapy that can occur if multiple whole brain
radiation treatments are required.”
“The Gamma Knife offers the distinct advantage of being able to precisely target brain
metastases,” said Dr. Mullen. “This reduces the likelihood of damage to surrounding tissue, and
helps prevent side effects like memory loss and learning difficulties, which often occur with
whole brain radiation therapy.”
Despite its name, the Gamma Knife is not an actual knife, but a stereotactic radiosurgery
device that has become a well-accepted standard of care for the minimally invasive treatment of

2. inaccessible or inoperable brain abnormalities. Unlike traditional open surgery, Gamma Knife
radiosurgery involves no incision; it works by harnessing the power generated by 192 cobalt-60
radiation beams, converged on a precise target area of the brain. At the site where the beams
converge, enough radiation is generated to ionize and destroy a tumor or lesion deep within the
brain. The beams are focused with such precision that radiation is delivered only to the target,
sparing surrounding healthy tissue, blood vessels and nerves. Multiple lesions or tumors can
typically be treated in a single session.
There is no bleeding, no risk of infection, and no lengthy hospital stay following
treatment. Most patients can return to their normal daily activities the day after Gamma Knife
surgery. The Gamma Knife is backed by 30 years of clinical experience. It has been used by
more than 600,000 patients worldwide. Results have been documented in more than 3,000 peer-reviewed
scientific papers.
“The Gamma Knife shows good control of brain metastases, which means prolonged life
with fewer long-term effects from treatment, and an improved quality of life,” said Dr. Brisman.
Studies suggest that stereotactic radiosurgery has better clinical outcomes than whole
brain radiation therapy alone. The Gamma Knife has been shown to provide 80-90% control of
tumor growth in brain metastases, following one treatment session.
“No other technology has the ability to treat multiple targets in the brain with the same
clinical outcome and speed as the Gamma Knife Perfexion,” said Dr. Mullen. “We are fortunate
that our patients have access to this advanced technology.”
In the past, whole brain radiation therapy was the most widely used method of treating
brain metastases, despite the fact that patients treated this way had an expected survival of only
three to four months. Research has shown that WBRT does not prevent the later onset of remote
metastases in other brain locations. Significant damage to healthy brain tissue is common with
the use of WBRT. For those surviving longer periods following WBRT, the development of
severe radiation-induced dementia and other neurological problems such as memory loss, speech
impairments and eyesight loss frequently occur.
The Gamma Knife also effectively treats other neurological disorders, such as benign
brain tumors, pituitary tumors, primary malignant brain tumors, brain arteriovenous
malformations (AVMs), trigeminal neuralgia and acoustic neuromas.
Since opening in 2002, Long Island Gamma Knife at South Nassau Communities
Hospital has treated more than 1,500 patients. The center also offers Long Island’s only Novalis
TX™ radiosurgery platform with SmartArc™ technology. This non-invasive radiosurgical

3. procedure provides pinpoint accuracy in the treatment of a wide range of malignancies and other
potentially debilitating conditions, without harming nearby healthy tissue.
Designated a Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC),
South Nassau® Communities Hospital is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 435 beds,
more than 900 physicians and 3,000 employees. Located in Oceanside, NY, the hospital is an
acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac,
oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health and emergency services. In
addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers, South Nassau provides emergency and
elective angioplasty, and is the only hospital on Long Island with the Novalis Tx™ and Gamma
Knife® radiosurgery technologies. South Nassau is a designated Stroke Center by the New York
State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American
College of Surgeons and is an accredited center of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
Association and Quality Improvement Program. In addition, the hospital has been awarded the
Joint Commission’s gold seal of approval as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures,
including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care; and disease-specific care for
hip and joint replacement, wound care and end-stage renal disease. For more information, visit
www.southnassau.org.
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