Gamma Knife in Toronto and Winnipeg/ Canada

[Mikey]

After a winter of reading and studying the reems of info on this site ( thanks everyone)and health providors , I am moving towards committing to Gamma Knife. (AN is still small but has increased slightly in 6 months) My question , could anyone share their experience at either Toronto or Winnipeg .  Travelling to US would certainly strain the piggy bank .  Thanks ,  Mikey

[calimama]

I have not had GK but did meet with docs at the GK centre in Toronto. My AN is larger (2.9cm)... i am still considering options, including surgery.

Where do you live? Why dont you get your doctor to refer you the closer centre and get some info first hand.

Trish

[Mikey]

Hi Trish , I live in Nanaimo , Vancouver Island.  Vancouver has Fractionated radiation which is 25 one day treatments.Gamma from all my reading is the best and most accurate.  There are only 3 Gamma Knife in Canada. Toronto, Winnipeg and Montreal. USA is costly . (Seattle)  Europe much less but hope to get refferred to Toronto. Thanks , Mikey

[calimama]

We also have the 25 session fractionated Linac. I am actually considering that over GK due to better chance for hearing preservation and it is a bit more "conservative" from what i have been told... and my AN is 2.9cm so kind of on the borderline of acceptable size for GK. I am leaning towards surgery right now, crazy as it seems even to me!
What size is your AN? You could go for a consult for the 25 session... at least you can find out about that and radiation generally and get some insights from the radiation peeps. Then carry on with your consultations (TO or Winnepeg) which will require travel.

Good luck.

[Mikey]

Hi Trish, All the reading I have done indicated GK ,hearing and nerve preservation was excellent.  GK delivers over 200 beams of  lower dose radiation from different angles.GK is for cranial use only . FSR is not.  FSR requires time for the tissue to "heal" and so is split into 25 sessions. I would rather fly to TO than make 25 trips to Vanc. Best of luck to you, Mikey

[calimama]

You too!

[tatianne]

We also have GK here in Quebec...Sherbrooke Quebec to be exact and its about 1.5 hours outside of the city of Montreal...
Just fyi