Cyber knife: reviews of the operated. Cost of surgery in Russia and abroad

The body of a healthy person works like a clock. But it's worth it for any body to get sick, as the whole body fails. The most common cause of problems are various ailments, and the most dangerous among them are oncological ones. It is in the fight against them that mankind regularly develops all new techniques and equipment that can defeat cancer. One such is the Cyber Knife. The responses of the operated patients who managed to stop the swelling make us think and give us hope. More on this effective treatment, we'll talk further.

What is a Cyber knife?

The device, which is popularly called a "spatial scalpel", is a specialized radiosurgical equipment designed to get rid of various pathological neoplasms of the brain and the cranial cavity. According to experts, it works on the basis of X-rays, and as a radiation source it uses a high-precision linear accelerator.

Brief information about the origin of the device

The first Cyber-knife (reviews operated on using this system can be found in this article) was developed in early 1992. Its creator was the American professor John Adler, who previously taught at Stanford University.

Working on the system, the inventor set himself the goal - to overcome the existing shortcomings, which are characteristic for already known devices in the field of radiosurgery. At the same time, he managed to combine a system of control over the image and a controlled robotic arm.

Seven years after a series of tests, the device finally worked, and the very first patients were people with a tumor of the neck and head. After successfully carrying out more than a hundred operations, the system has proved itself well. And since people felt better after the Cyberknife, it was decided to expand the capabilities of the unit. Exactly five years later it was already used with might and main to treat neoplasms of any localization.

How does the system work and work?

Linear accelerator, or Cyber-knife, is, as a rule, on a special robot console. According to the developers, it has about six degrees of freedom, allowing to provide 1,200 positions for an X-ray beam during irradiation.

The radiation itself is carried out with the help of a mobile robotic "hand", which easily redirects a beam of rays to a tumor that needs treatment. In this case, the computerized console allows you to track the location of the tumor taking into account its possible changes, for example, during the breathing process of the patient.

What can I do with a Cyberknife?

Unlike other similar equipment, the Cyber Knife operation allows not only to remove the tumor without surgery, but also makes it possible to get rid of metastases in all parts of the body, including respiratory organs. Using the "knife" you can eliminate the following new growths:

• A brain tumor ;
• Cancer of the liver and lungs;
• Primary oncology of the spinal cord;
• Arterio-venous malformation ;
• Neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve;
• Neurinomas of the auditory nerve ;
• Tumor of the larynx, orbit and carotid sinus;
• Cancer of the neck and head;
• Primary oncological formations of the sinuses of the nose, oral cavity and nasopharynx;
• Tumors of the kidneys and female genital organs;
• Tumors of the retroperitoneal space;
• Prostate cancer.

A cyber knife (reviews operated on will help you learn more about the postoperative period) is also used in the treatment of a relapsing tumor located on previously irradiated parts of the body. And at the same time there is a chance to localize several tumor sites at once.

When can I use the device?

As it turned out, not all malignant and benign neoplasms can be treated with a Cyber knife. According to experts, the oncological outgrowth or focus should not exceed 4-5 cm. And in the presence of metastases, the patient needs to undergo additional histological examination in order to verify the condition of the focus.

In addition, the general physical condition of the cancer patient should be stable, which will allow him to lie for a long time without moving during the procedure.

How is the preparation process for treatment?

Before the Cyber-knife is used (the testimonials of the operated ones confirm this), patients are expected to have a professional consultation of the oncologist-radiotherapist in one of the clinics where this method of treatment is applied. At the second stage, the patient is recommended to undergo a simple topometry procedure performed on the CT apparatus. According to experts, it must be done to determine the location of the tumor.

In the third stage, as a rule, irradiation modeling takes place taking into account the healthy organs and tissues surrounding the tumor. And, finally, after all this the patient expects one or several sessions of irradiation with the Cyber-knife system.

Is hospitalization required during treatment?

Regardless of whether you have chosen Burdenko Hospital or any other clinic in Moscow and outside the Russian Federation, treatment with Cyberknife does not require mandatory hospitalization. According to experts, the irradiation process is carried out on an outpatient basis. It follows that after the procedure the patient leaves the medical institution and can safely return to his usual life regimen.

What is the duration of treatment?

Depending on each individual case, the course of radiation therapy is 1-5 sessions. In this case, each takes about 30-120 minutes. The number of necessary repetitions is established and controlled by the attending physician.

What are the benefits of treatment?

Among the main advantages of using beam equipment called the Cyber-knife can be identified as follows:

• Performs the operation without leaving traces on the mucous membranes and skin;
• Removes neoplasms without pain;
• Does not require an additional set of procedures for rehabilitation;
• Assumes free breathing and comfortable position of the patient's body during treatment;
• Does not require surgical intervention and the use of anesthesia;
• It involves a convenient fixation of the body and head during treatment;
• Helps to get rid of malignant neoplasms of almost any localization;
• Provides for a repeat course of treatment after previously used radiation therapy.

And, of course, every patient has the right to choose the clinic that he will like. Where is Cyber-knife therapy practiced? In Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk there are complexes where patients are provided with such services.

Are there any disadvantages of treatment?

Despite the whole list of significant advantages, the Cyber-knife system has a number of drawbacks. And the first of them is that the effect of the applied treatment does not immediately manifest itself. The first signs of positive changes in the patient's condition can be observed after 2-3 months after irradiation. At the same time, some tumors stop growing and gradually disappear, while others recover much longer. And for monitoring the patient's condition, specialists insist on periodic CT and MRI performed once every six months.

The second important disadvantage is the Cyber-knife (in Burdenko this equipment is in the medical-diagnostic centers of the hospital) is not able to eliminate some types of malignant neoplasms. These include tumors that exceed the maximum limit of equipment (6x6 cm).

In addition, an undeniable shortcoming is the availability of a huge queue for treatment. This is due to the low capacity of the centers (2-3 patients per day). And, finally, many cancer patients finally upset the price of the procedures, which at times exceed the cost of ordinary radiotherapy.

Where can I find equipment?

Despite the uniqueness of this equipment, it can not be found in all medical institutions. According to the manufacturer, at present there are about 250 installations of the Cyberknife in the world. Most of them are in US clinics, followed by Japan, followed by Europe and Asia. For example, there is a device in the Moscow Research Institute named after PA Herzen, located at: 2 Botkinsky Ave, 3.

Today, qualified specialists with a great experience in the treatment of patients with oncological diseases of different severity are working at this institute. If you are interested in the Cyber-knife system (the cost of treatment depends on the availability of related services), you can always register for a preliminary consultation on the website of Mnioi.ru.

In search of professional medical care using the innovative Cyber-knife system, you can contact one of the clinics of the federal network of nuclear medicine centers "PET Technologies". They are in Moscow, Ufa, Yekaterinburg, Lipetsk, Orel and Tambov. You can get the reception of specialists by calling the hotline: +8 (800) 70 70 300.

Another institution where the treatment is practiced with the help of the Cyberknife is the Main Military Clinical Hospital of Burdenko. It is located in Moscow at the address: Gospitalnaya Sq., 3. For recording to specialists, the hotline of the organization works: +8 (499) 263 53 00.

Approximate cost of treatment in Russian clinics will cost you from 150 to 700 thousand rubles (approximately 2109.00 and 9841.98 euros). For comparison: the price of such a radiosurgical intervention in German clinics will cost you 5-12 thousand euros, in Israel - 15-30 thousand dollars, in China - 20-24 thousand dollars, and US centers - 10-20 thousand dollars .

Cancer treatment in Israel

Of course, the system using the "spatial scalpel" is widely spread abroad. For example, she is in Israel, in the Medical Center "Ichilov". Here, diagnostics and treatment of skin, lung, trachea, prostate, kidney and genitourinary cancers are carried out.

They work on the Cyber-knife system and in the other Israeli clinic - "Top Assuta". Diagnosis and treatment of tumors of the brain, kidneys, lungs, pancreas and stomach, liver, prostate and other organs is also carried out here.

Cancer is being treated in Israel and at the NetOnco clinic. In this institution, you can get rid of forty different tumor formations, including chordomas, hemangiomas, cavernomas and others.

What do patients say about the system?

Reviews about innovative equipment Cyber knife can be heard very different. For example, one user is immensely grateful to the Moscow center, where her father was treated for prostate cancer of 3-4 stages. According to her, after several procedures the patient feels well.

Another claims that his condition is still uncertain, since two weeks have not passed since the treatment. He stresses that there were no scars and scars from the irradiation process, and the working capacity of the leg, which previously refused, was restored.