Mayo Clinic's approach
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Bruce Pollock, M.D., Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic: Stereotactic radiosurgery is an outpatient-based radiation procedure. You're going to walk in, have this done, and walk out again. And that's the way we want people to think about radiosurgery.
There's a variety of devices that are used to perform stereotactic radiosurgery. The Gamma Knife is used only to treat the brain and head and upper neck, whereas the linear accelerators are more versatile and can also be used to treat the head, but can treat below the neck and the parts of the body as well.
Mayo Clinic expertise
Ian Parney, M.D., Ph.D., Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic: One of the things that we have, of course, is a tremendous amount of experience.
Dr. Pollock: The radiosurgical procedures require the input of multiple physicians and physicists.
Debbie Dixon, Mayo Clinic Patient: I was very comfortable and confident, and felt very reassured with his expertise.
Dr. Pollock: We've been performing radiosurgery for 25 years. The cumulative experience of the neurosurgeons, the radiation oncologists and our physicists is well over 100 years of experience. We've treated more than 7,000 patients with a wide variety of problems.
Dr. Parney: As in most things, experience matters. And when you have a lot of experience, you get better at treating the common things, and you get better at treating the uncommon things.
Mayo Clinic care
Dr. Parney: One of the things that also sets us apart is that we are not married to one technology.
Dr. Pollock: Essentially, we look at you in a sense of, is radiosurgery appropriate for you?
Dr. Parney: It's not infrequent that I will see somebody who's referred for radiosurgery that I say, maybe we should think about doing something else, and at least present those options so that people can hear, what are the benefits? What are the risks of doing all this? And make a decision for themselves that works best for them, that's going to get the best care.
Ms. Dixon: I ask a lot of questions. And I never felt rushed. I felt very respected. I felt that I was being spoken to as a peer.
Dr. Pollock: The nurses and everyone involved at the actual site on the day of your procedure have been doing this for years. We know you're nervous, and our goal is to make you not nervous.
Ms. Dixon: There was someone there who said, if you'd like to hold my hand, I'm here for you. And I held her hand, and I squeezed it. They were caring, compassionate. But what I like is the way they spoke. It was not something that I couldn't understand. It wasn't scary. They used everyday terminology, and that meant a lot to me, and it meant a lot to my husband.
Dr. Parney: This is never just another day at the office for any of us when we're seeing people. This is a huge impact on somebody's life, a major life event, and it's a tremendous privilege to be involved with that. And I think one of the most wonderful things for me working here is it everybody knows that, and everybody is on the side of saying, we are doing this all for patients.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Teamwork
At Mayo Clinic, radiation oncologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, neuro-oncologists, neurologists, medical oncologists and pathologists work together as a team to provide exactly the treatment and care you need for your specific condition. Other professionals are included as needed.
Experience
Mayo Clinic doctors have extensive experience using stereotactic radiosurgery for tumors and other abnormalities in the brain and other parts of the body. Each year, more than 1,400 people undergo stereotactic radiosurgery at Mayo Clinic.
Advanced planning technology
Mayo Clinic doctors have access to the latest imaging technology to help with treatment planning. Doctors use CT, MRI and other advanced imaging to create a plan for treatment that targets the abnormality and spares the nearby healthy tissue.
Proton Beam Therapy
Mayo Clinic's campus in Arizona and Mayo Clinic's campus in Minnesota have a proton beam therapy facility, dedicated to providing the latest SRS technology. Mayo Clinic's Proton Beam Therapy Program is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center with a multisite presence, with locations in Arizona and Minnesota.
The program differs from most other proton therapy programs in the United States because it exclusively features intensity-modulated proton beam therapy using pencil beam scanning. The pencil beam conforms more closely to the tumor, better sparing surrounding healthy tissue from harm — plus, it offers shorter treatment times and reduced side effects.
Nationally recognized expertise
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, rank among the Best Hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings. Mayo Clinic Children's Center in Rochester is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Minnesota, and the five-state region of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2023-2024 "Best Children's Hospitals" rankings.
Research
Mayo Clinic doctors working in neurology research and cancer research have contributed greatly to the understanding of stereotactic radiosurgery and have published widely on the results of their research. Mayo Clinic researchers are exploring the use of stereotactic radiosurgery to treat other conditions, including lymphoma, melanoma of the eye, breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, epilepsy and psychological disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder.
This emphasis on research increases the treatment choices available to Mayo Clinic patients. A variety of clinical trials and other studies may be available to you at Mayo Clinic.
Expertise and rankings
Mayo Clinic has one of the largest and most experienced practices in the United States, with campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Staff members skilled in dozens of specialties work together to ensure your quality care and successful recovery.
Unparalleled cancer care
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center meets the strict standards for a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center, which recognize scientific excellence and a multispecialty approach focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Mayo Clinic is also part of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and NRG Oncology, two groups of scientists throughout the U.S. and Canada who work together to conduct clinical trials and reduce the impact of cancer.
Nationally recognized expertise
Stereotactic radiosurgery teamwork at Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona., rank among the Best Hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery and for cancer in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. Mayo Clinic Children's Center in Rochester is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Minnesota, and the five-state region of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2023–2024 "Best Children's Hospitals" rankings. With the emphasis on collaborative care, specialists interact very closely with their colleagues across all sites.
Learn more about Mayo Clinic's neurology and neurosurgery departments' expertise and rankings.
Locations, travel and lodging
Mayo Clinic has major campuses in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; and Rochester, Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic Health System has dozens of locations in several states.
For more information on visiting Mayo Clinic, choose your location below:
Costs and insurance
Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.
In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.
Learn more about appointments at Mayo Clinic.
Please contact your insurance company to verify medical coverage and to obtain any needed authorization prior to your visit. Often, your insurer's customer service number is printed on the back of your insurance card.
Clinical trials
Explore Mayo Clinic studies of tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or manage conditions.