Brain week: a CHUS device that saves lives!

On two occasions, she received treatments available only here in Sherbrooke. The CHUS is the only hospital in Quebec and Eastern Canada equipped with a gamma knife, a device that can precisely destroy tumors and other conditions requiring delicate brain interventions. It is an alternative to conventional open neurosurgery.

"During an MRI, the medical team in Trois-Rivières detected a benign tumor in my brain. Without intervention, the meningioma would have grown and damaged other parts of my brain" says Jeanne, who was 70 years old at the time. A gamma ray treatment was the best option in her case, and she did not hesitate to travel 180 kilometers to access this unique technology in Quebec. The treatment was a success! That was in 2019.

Unfortunately, a few years later, Jeanne developed trigeminal neuralgia, causing severe facial pain due to nerve compression. Medication was no longer relieving her. "It became unbearable. My neurologist in Trois-Rivières quickly contacted the CHUS, and within just a week and a half, I was transferred to Sherbrooke," Jeanne explains. "The care I received now allows me to enjoy a better quality of life. Dr. David Mathieu’s team was incredibly compassionate. I felt safe and well cared for."

Jeanne’s treatment was one of 450 performed by the CHUS team in 2023-2024.

An Essential Device That Saves Lives

After 15 years of service, replacing the current gamma knife has become a top priority, according to Dr. David Mathieu, neurosurgeon at the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS. "We need to replace our gamma scalpel with a new-generation model in the near future. Not only will this maintain our current level of service, but it will also allow us to treat larger lesions that are not currently eligible for this procedure. Ultimately, we will be able to help more patients," explains Dr. Mathieu, emphasizing that this type of radiosurgery treatment enables rapid recovery and has few side effects.

The gamma knife is an expensive device, but it makes a life-changing difference for people with brain cancer or other conditions requiring delicate brain interventions.

The CHUS Foundation has pledged just over $2 million to contribute to its replacement.

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Numerous Benefits

• Treats a wide range of intracranial pathologies, including benign and malignant tumors, vascular malformations and facial pain, among others.
• Helps cure or slow the progression of disease.
• Painless and short treatment (between 10 minutes and 3 hours).
• Alternative to conventional surgery, with no recovery period—patients leave the hospital the same day.
• Treatment is more precise and effective. Its high degree of precision enables it to treat small tumors located in deeper, inoperable areas of the brain, while sparing healthy tissue.