Spinal Arteriovenous Malformations

Treatment

Doctors trained in nervous system conditions (neurology), doctors trained in nerve surgery (neurosurgeons) and other doctors treat people who have spinal arteriovenous malformations (AVM).

Your doctor will work with you to develop an individualized treatment plan based on your risk of complications and your overall health.

Treatment may include:

• Surgery. In surgery, your surgeon carefully removes the spinal AVM from the surrounding tissue. Surgical removal is most appropriate when an AVM is small and located near the surface of the spinal cord.
• Endovascular embolization. In endovascular embolization, your surgeon inserts a long thin tube (catheter) into an artery in your leg and threads it through blood vessels to your spinal cord using X-ray imaging. Your surgeon places the catheter in one of the arteries that feeds your AVM and injects small particles or a glue-like substance to block the artery and reduce blood flow into the AVM.
  
  Often, surgeons perform embolization before surgery to reduce the chance of bleeding during the operation, or to reduce the size of the AVM so conventional surgery can be more effective.