I currently am looking for a second opinion in my area. I live in the greater Philadelphia area and have narrowed it down between University of Penn Hospital and Jefferson Hospital. I am currently a patient at Christiana Hospital but am seeking a second opinion. I have a 4cm AVM on the right side of my brain that has already been treated with cyberknife radiation but during the 2 year wait for the radiation to hopefully close the AVM down I am considering this second opinion. Does anyone know of any good hospitals in my area or have you been to one of the ones I mentioned above and have had a good experience with them? Thank you so much!
You can get a second opinion from Dr. Spetzler at the Barrow Nuerological Institute. He is located in Arizona but he has a mail in option. You can mail your films to him and pay $100.00, he will respond back within 48 hours with recommendations.
A little about me, i had one nuerosurgen tell me that my AVM was unoperable, so i went ahead and scheduled for Gamma knife, but the week before i got a second opinion where he said that he felt it was operable. I that point i knew that Dr. Spetzler was one of the best Nuerosurgeons for AVM’s so i went ahead and sent my films to him and in 48 hours one of his residence called and said that there was a 90+% chance of success for resection. So i went ahead and scheduled the surgery. The one thing he was concerned about was my vision, so after 2 days of embolization and a craniotomy it was resected. I did lose about 15% of my left side peripheral vision. I am now coming up on 4 years and i have scheduled a final MRI on Nov 2nd to ensure that i am still 100%, fingers crossed. No more after that.
Wow amazing, you have come a long way! Thank you so much for this information this is very helpful, I will reach out to Dr. Spetzler. I have the same concern, I have been told my AVM is unoperable and I would like to double check that. You have made a great recovery, goodluck and best wishes on your upcoming MRI! Thank you again!
Alyssa, i forgot to mention that my AVM was 3x3.5CM. His office number is 602-■■■■■■■■. They will give you the information in regards to mailing your films. This is an easy way to get a second or third opinion and they do get back to you in 48 hours. Best wishes on this opinion.
Dr. Solomon at Columbia in NYC. He resected my 8 yr old son’s AVM. He is not a pediatric doctor but he took care of my son anyway. Dr. Meyers did the embolization the day before and Dr. Solomon resected it the next day. Good Luck!