Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKR) requires frame positioning because the treatment target should be as close as possible to the center of the frame. For the frame positioning, pin fixation to the skin of crania causes the patients who underwent GKR to suffer from severe pain. 

     The purposes of this study were to identify the level of pin-fixing pain related with GKR and the relationship of the pain with the precipitant factors among patients with brain tumor.

     A total of 36 patients taking GKR were recruited from C hospital located in H city, J Province, from June through August, 2011.

     The level of pain was measured and standardized by two instruments which were the10cm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the 45-points objective pain behavior checklist (OPBC) developed by Park (1994).

     The level of pain related to pin-fixing was 8.72±3.77 and 6.13±2.00 by VAS and OPBC, respectively. T-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation found that there was a relationship of the pin-fixing pain with the history of other surgery (t=2.467, p=.019), informational support (r=.368, p=.030), appraisal support (r=.521, p=.001), and material support (r=.368, p=.032). On the other hand, there was no relationship of the pin-fixing pain with age, gender, educational background, economic status, marital status, sleep, anxiety and depression, vital sign, the level of oxygen saturation, and emotional support.

     This was a prospective series of a small data set. The level or type of anesthesia was not varied.

     In conclusion, we found that the patients having GKR suffered from severe pin-fixing pain. The patients who had a previous experience of other surgery and a poorer social support were more likely to experience pain. 

     Pre-informed education, positive feedback, and financial resources should be given to the patients taking GKR to reduce their pain.