“I am incredibly proud of this important milestone in Vidant’s collective work to realize a life without cancer,” said Dr. Stuart Lee, chief, division of neurosurgery, Vidant Health and medical director of The Gamma Knife Center, ECU Health Medical Center.

The Gamma Knife® works by targeting problematic cells, which shrinks the size of brain tumors over time. This technology shortens recovery time and is often performed in an outpatient setting. Before this technology, for certain kinds of brain tumors, the treatment was whole-brain radiation, which means even the healthy parts of the brain were radiated.

Dr. Lee spoke of a previous patient whose brain tumor shrunk significantly six weeks after treatment. “This was a lady in her late thirties who was still working, even with her cancer,” Lee said. “She actually went on a cruise after her second Gamma Knife®.”

“Our teams work passionately to support those battling cancer. Those across our region can access advanced technology close to home, which reduces the need to travel elsewhere to receive treatment,” said Dr. Lee. “By performing 2,000 Gamma Knife® procedures, we are delivering on our mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina.”