Bangalore: After waiting for two years, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) has acquired the Gamma Knife for performing non-invasive brain surgeries.

The Rs. 17-crore equipment was acquired through funds from the Union Government and will revolutionise the way non-invasive neurological procedures are conducted in the country, especially brain tumours. D. Nagaraja, Director and Vice-Chancellor of NIMHANS, told The Hindu on Thursday that NIMHANS was one of the three institutions in the country to acquire Gamma Knife. The other two are the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and a private hospital. "We got the instrument around four months ago and we have conducted 60 procedures. We are offering this treatment at a subsidised rate of Rs. 1 lakh, including hospital stay and all other charges," Dr. Nagaraja said. More than two years ago, when the institute celebrated its golden jubilee, the then Union Minister for Health Sushma Swaraj had announced the release of funds for the purchase of this equipment, which can destroy deep-seated vascular malformations and brain tumours once considered inoperable.

The Gamma Knife technology represents one of the most advanced means available to treat brain tumours; arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), collections of abnormal brain arteries and veins that can cause disastrous or even fatal bleeding into the brain.

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