Stereotactic Radiosurgery Surgery (Gamma or Cyberknife) for Meningioma

Hello @mrsjrocellis1 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thinking about surgery can make a lot of people anxious, so I am glad you are here seeking support as you go through this. There are so many people that have shared their experiences and I hope connecting with them will help to put your mind at ease.

You will notice that I have moved your post into an existing discussion on surgery, which you can find here:
- Stereotactic Radiosurgery Surgery (Gamma or Cyberknife) for Meningioma: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/gamma-knife-radio-surgery-for-meningioma/

I'd like to see if members @1myhope @skip70 and @vermont10 could come back to join you and also noticed that @markay44 has replied to you with a positive surgical experience so will let you connect back with them.

I did have Gamma knife for my menginoma to try to slow or stop the growth of the tumor. I didn't have any symptoms a that time other than vertigo due to Menierer's disease. Unfortunately the procedure didn't work for me and the tumor started to grow rapidly causing strokes and seizures resulting on emergency brain surgery.

I’m sorry your grew even from the treatment resulting in strikes and seizures. Thank you for letting us know you needed surgery. I was also pondering doing radiation instead of surgery. But this has helped me make a decision. Thank you for posting.

Hi Jill, It's now 2023 and so far my meningioma hasn't grown. I have fallen 3 times and have had CT's that show the meningioma . I read in some other discussions that double vision is common after the surgery but I had double vision before the surgery. That is why they did the gamma surgery. Unfortunately the gamma surgery didn't cure the double vision and my 3 concussions have caused vertical and horizontal double vision. I think that Gamma surgery is amazing and I would do it again.

Hello. I am late in joining this conversation, as I just found this discussion group today. I have a hypoglossal schwannoma that was discovered in 1998, treated with GammaKnife (GK) in 2003 at UPMC, and am very grateful that the treatment successfully stopped the growth. The tumour is located within my hypoglossal canal, and follow-up imaging has demonstrated that is stopped growing as a result of the GK.

More recently a meningioma was discovered in my parafalcine brain region, in the left frontal lobe. I will be having another GK procedure sometime later this year (in 2024). If there is anyone who would like to ask any questions about my case or share more about theirs, I'd be interested in discussing through this forum.

Welcome, @gammaqueen. I love your username 🙂
I welcome your support for others who may be considering gammaknife. Having gone through GK over 20 years ago, I'll be interested hear what has changed when you have the procedure again this year.

When is your upcoming GK? How do you prepare for it?

Perhaps, i misunderstood neuro-surgeon i saw yesterday. However, i understood her to say she had a patient w 30 meningoma who was treated w gamma knife (successfully)

Thanks for sharing. i’m sorry you have been through so much and i hope you are ok now.

I greatly appreciate that you shared that the Gamma isn’t always a “miracle cure” .

I wish you all the best. May i ask why your surgeon thinks your meningoma potentially was caused by your autoimmune disease?

I have autoimmune disease and no one i’ve talked to has been knowledgable about the potential link between meningoma and autoimmune conditions.

Thank you

Did the nurse explain why she didn’t think sedation would be possible. i do not want to be awake while having injections in my forehead and back of my head…..and i think i would have a less stressful experience if i don’t see the pins being inserted