An ambulance drives past Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg on Thursday, June 15, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski)
Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg has unveiled a new gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery unit, marking a major upgrade in brain treatment technology for patients in Manitoba.
The new $3.2 million system, funded through the HSC Foundation’s Operation Excellence campaign in partnership with the Manitoba government, allows doctors to treat brain tumours, vascular malformations and other neurological conditions using highly focused radiation — often without the need for open surgery.
Officials say the technology improves patient outcomes by targeting affected areas with extreme precision while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. The new Elekta Ssprit model — which has already treated 5,000 patients — also allows for treatment of larger tumours, eliminates the need for same-day MRI scans through integrated CT imaging, and offers patients a custom-fitted mask to stabilize the head during treatment.
“These advancements are significant because they allow us to be far more flexible in scheduling MRIs, which benefits all HSC patients—not just those in neurosurgery,” said Dr. Anthony
Kaufmann, HSC neurosurgeon.
“The new unit also shortens the patient’s time commitment on treatment day. In some cases, a patient can be fitted with a mask, have their tumour treated, and return home in as little as two to three hours.”
HSC was the first hospital in Canada to install a Gamma Knife system in 2003. The new unit represents a significant advancement over earlier versions and will expand treatment options for Manitobans who previously may have needed to travel out of province.
The new system is expected to improve patient comfort, shorten hospital stays and enhance overall outcomes, strengthening Manitoba’s capacity to deliver specialized neurological care within the public health system.
