USC AND KECK FACT SHEET

The Department of Neurological Surgery at Keck School of Medicine of USC and USC University Hospital offer the only Leksell Gamma Knife ® technology in Los Angeles. The Gamma Knife is used to treat conditions in the brain without surgery. Gamma Knife treatment uses radiation in a very precise way that spares normal, healthy tissue while pinpointing targets with high doses of radiation.

Our goal is to adhere to the highest standards of patient care while providing patients with all the information, support and care they need.

The Gamma Knife Perfexion is a highly sophisticated technology that relies on cobalt as its energy source. The gamma radiation that is emitted is shaped into 192 slim beams that are directed to a defined target. Because the dose along any single beam is so small, the tissue through which it passes is essentially unharmed. As a result, there is little or no radiation delivered to normal surrounding tissue. However, the precise point where the beams converge – for example, at the tumor site – receives a very high dose of radiation.

Gamma Knife technology is the most accurate form of stereotactic radiation. It allows for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, metastatic brain tumors, small arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), acoustic neuromas, meningiomas and other benign tumors. Staff

The exceptional Gamma Knife team at USC consists of an internationally recognized team of professionals.

Michael L.J. Apuzzo, M.D.

Edwin M. Todd/Trent H. Wells Jr. Professor of Neurological Surgery, RadiationOncology, Biology and Physics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC

Steven L. Giannotta, M.D.

Professor and Chairman of Neurological Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC

Peter Gruen, M.D.

Associate Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC

Paul E. Kim, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Radiology of the Keck School of Medicine of USC

Charles Liu, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Neurological Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC

Paul G. Pagnini, M.D.

Assistant Clinical Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC

Mairead C. Rusch, RN

Nursing Coordinator for the Gamma Knife Unit for USC University Hospital

Cheng Yu, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC

Chi Shing Zee, M.D.

Professor of Radiology and Neurosurgery, Director of Neuroradiology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC

Vladimir Zelman, M.D., Ph.D.

Co-Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC

The renowned Keck School of Medicine of USC is located in the heart of Los Angeles, adjacent to USC University Hospital. Keck continues to be a world leader in using innovative radiotherapy techniques such as 3-D treatment planning and conformal radiotherapy and computer networked, isodose calculation systems for all cancer disease sites.

To learn how the Gamma Knife Perfexion can benefit you, contact Mairead Rusch, RN, Gamma Nurse Coordinator, at 323-442-8860.