A Question About Avms

Why are some avms removable while others are not?

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I think, for brain AVMs (and maybe similar for other places) the big challenge with trying to remove the AVM is to do so without doing more damage in the process. If your AVM is in some very critical parts of your brain, current technology, capability and so on means that in those very critical parts, you WILL do more damage than good. Or perhaps about the same amount of damage as good.

So, rather than operate straight away in the same way that neurosurgeons will operate in more accessible parts of the brain, they sometimes prefer to wait, to avoid an operation until it is absolutely vital to operate (often, to wait until it is already bleeding) because the choice then is to save a life, even if the outcome is that a person may have some significant disabilities.

With some brain AVMs, choosing to operate when it is first detected might mean that you’re almost guaranteed to have some significant disablement straight away rather a risk of significant disablement or death later. It’s a difficult choice but hopefully it makes sense to try to choose the most safe action, the least damaging action at each stage.

Does that make sense?

Richard

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Hi Allison, To answer your question… I’ll give you my most popular response: “I don’t know.”
My AVM had already bled so there was no choice to make. Plus it was frontal lobe, so accessible. Plus I was 14 yrs old and I think at that age a brain can kind of “recover” or regenerate cells. (I’m not sure.)
Anyhow, on a non-medical level, do what is most effective for you in making tough decisions. I’ll talk to family/friends, meditate, go for a walk in the woods or something else.
Bottom line-- once you have all the info, trust yourself. (It’s obvious you’re good at research.)
Best wishes, Greg

Yes I understand what you are saying, thanks. And you too Greg.

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Just as Richard stated, there is risks with removal in some locations no different then say a tumour… God bless!

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It’s an impossible question to answer, unfortunately

Similar to, why do less than 1% of people actually get AVM’s

Only thing I can add is that today’s modern medicine is pushing the frontier. No way my AVM would be resolved the way it has 5-10 years ago.

AVM’s are very complex - shoot, I remember one member’s post that I seen on here - the AVM covered most of his brain. And, others who have multiples in different locations.

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