Frameless gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery for over two hundred vestibular schwannoma patients - a single institution experience

Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) as definitive treatment for vestibular schwannomas (VS) provides high rates of tumor control. Traditionally, treatment immobilization necessitated a rigid stereotactic frame. The Gamma Knife Icon (Elekta AB) system enables frameless, mask-based immobilization. This study evaluates tumor control and hearing preservation after single- or five-fraction frameless GKRS for VS.

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No direct change to audiology practice; audiologists managing vestibular schwannoma patients should be aware that frameless Gamma Knife radiosurgery shows high tumor control rates at a single centre, but single-institution retrospective data are insufficient to change referral or management pathways without multi-centre confirmation.

Vestibular schwannoma management directly affects hearing preservation decisions, and evidence supporting less-invasive radiosurgical techniques could influence how audiologists counsel patients on treatment options.

1. 01Retrospective single-institution study of 200+ vestibular schwannoma patients treated with frameless Gamma Knife radiosurgery.
2. 02Frameless approach eliminates the need for rigid skull-frame fixation, potentially improving patient comfort and reducing procedural risk.
3. 03High tumor control rates reported, consistent with existing Gamma Knife literature.
4. 04Hearing and balance outcomes in the context of audiology follow-up are likely secondary endpoints.
5. 05Single-centre design limits generalisability; prospective multi-centre data are needed.

PMID

42521876

DOI

10.1007/s11060-026-05730-0.

Journal

Journal of Neuro-Oncology

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

4

Sample size

200

Population

Patients with vestibular schwannoma treated at a single institution

Intervention

Frameless Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery