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Preparing For Your TreatmentThe day before your scheduled Gamma
Knife procedure, you will need to arrive at Baylor/All Saints admitting
between 8:00-9:OOam. At this time, you will be Please bring all of your medications with you to your appointment in their original bottles and your insurance card(s). THE EVENING BEFORE YOUR PROCEDURE • Shampoo your hair with your usual shampoo Do not eat or drink anything after midnight THE DAY OF YOUR PROCEDURE • Take your morning medications as usual with a sip of water unless otherwise directed by your physician. Please do not take your insulin or any oral hypoglycemic. • Please to not have anything else to eat or drink the morning of your procedure including your morning coffee. • Please arrive to the All Saints admitting promptly at 6:00 am the morning of you scheduled procedure. After you check in, you will be escorted to the Gamma Knife unit. WHAT TO BRING TO THE HOSPITAL • The day of you procedure do not bring any valuables, wear any jewelry, wear makeup, wear contact lenses, apply any hairspray, or wear fingernail polish. If you wear dentures, please do not apply any denture adhesive because you may be asked to remove your dentures before you procedure begins. • Upon your arrival to the Gamma Knife unit, you will be given a hospital gown to change into. You may bring sweat pants and socks and/or slippers to wear during your procedure. • You will stay overnight in the hospital for observation. Therefore, you will need to bring additional clothing, toiletries, etc. • The day of you procedure, you do not need to bring your medications with you. All of your usual medications will be dispensed by the hospital pharmacy. • You may bring a favorite tape or CD to listen to during your treatment. THE GAMMA KNIFE PROCEDURE - what to expect When you first arrive to the unit, you will change into a hospital gown, the nurse will start an IV, you will be attached to an EKG monitor, and the nurse will administer medications to help you relax and for prevention of nausea. Your procedure will begin with placement of an aluminum head frame, which is held into place by 4 screw-like pins in the very outer layer of the skull. You will have 2 pins inserted to your forehead and 2 pins inserted to the back of your head. Prior to the insertion of the head frame, numbing cream will be applied to the 4 pin site areas and then a local anesthetic will be administered to each pin site area. You may feel some discomfort for a short time. Additional medication to help you relax during head frame placement can be given if needed.
After treatment planning is completed, you will be moved into the Gamma Knife treatment room where you will be placed on the "couch" or Gamma Knife table. A large silver helmet will be attached to the table, and you head frame will be attached to this. Once all of the coordinates are set for your treatment, a microphone will be attached to your hospital gown, and the Gamma Knife team will leave the room. Monitors are set up for the physicians and physicist to watch you during the procedure, and the microphone will allow you to communicate with them. When the procedure begins, part of the Gamma Knife table will slide back into the dome, and the actual radiation treatment will begin. Your treatment may last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on you diagnosis. After your treatment is completed, you will be removed from the Gamma Knife table, returned to the frame room and the head frame will be removed. A band-aid will be applied to each pin site. At this time you may have something to drink and a light snack. Your total time in the Gamma Knife unit will be 4-5 hours. Approximately 30-minutes to 1 hour after your treatment completes, you will be transferred to your hospital room for an overnight stay for observation.
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pre-registered for your Gamma Knife
procedure. After this is complete, you will go to the pre-assessment
center (next door to admissions) to have your lab drawn and the
nurse will ask you questions about your medical history. 
