Reply #4: I'd have to know more about how the procedure was done [View All]

Usually, a "gamma knife" refers to carefully targeted narrow radiation streams that converge on a tumor or cyst. The procedure is a day long one, with the patient's head bolted into a contraption called a stereotactic frame, the area carefully mapped via cat scan against the frame, the radiation streams carefully plotted to spare adjacent areas, and everything based on how the frame is attached to the patient's skull. There is little room for real error. The patient does end up with a raging headache from having to spend the day in the frame.

A tumor or even stroke in the cerebellum is more likely the culprit for her ataxia, although there can be many causes for ataxia, like CNS damage from chronic alcoholism or some hereditary conditions.

My sympathy to your friend. It's an incredibly frustrating condition.