Gamma Knife Perfexion: arteriovenous malformation Treatment

What is arteriovenous malformation (AVM)?

An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a tangle of arteries and veins that interferes with the body's normal circulatory system. Arteries and veins are part of the cycle carrying oxygen-rich blood away from the heart and returning oxygen-depleted blood back to the lungs and heart. AVMs can develop in many areas of the body, but they are most common in the brain or spinal cord.

The cause of an AVM is unknown, but experts believe it occurs during the development of an embryo or fetus, or soon after a baby is born. An estimated 300,000 Americans have an AVM. Most will never notice any sign of the condition, but about 12% will experience symptoms with varying degrees of severity.

What can happen if you have an AVM?

A brain AVM interrupts the normal circulation of blood through the brain. The lesion can be located in different areas of the brain, and symptoms vary depending on the function of the brain in that location. The first sign that you have a brain AVM could be a headache or seizure. Sometimes in more serious cases, the blood vessels rupture causing bleeding in the brain called a hemorrhage.

Each year, it is estimated that 2% to 4% of all AVMs rupture. Much of the time, the bleeding is not severe and goes unnoticed because there is no significant damage to neurological tissue. Occasionally, extensive bleeding occurs, which can cause permanent neurologic damage or can even be fatal. Sometimes, an AVM is detected when you are under care for an unrelated condition.

What are the options for treating arteriovenous malformation (AVM)?

Symptoms caused by AVM, such as headache, back pain or seizures can often be treated with medication. The predominant treatments for the condition are surgery or radiosurgery.

The size and location of an AVM are important factors when considering the risks involved in treatment. With surgery on an AVM located in the brain or spinal cord, there is a significant risk of serious complications or death.

There are three options for surgical treatment of an AVM:

• Conventional surgery – Best for small AVMs in superficial areas of the brain, this approach removes the central portion of the AVM from the brain while causing as little damage as possible to neurological tissue.
• Endovascular embolization – A less invasive treatment option, embolization may be safer for AVMs located deep in the brain. A catheter is inserted into a leg artery and threaded through the body to the arteries in the brain. Using an endoscope, the surgeon creates an artificial blood clot to obstruct the flow of blood to the AVM. Embolization is most often used in conjunction with surgery or radiosurgery.
• Radiosurgery, such as Gamma Knife radiosurgery

Why you should consider Gamma Knife radiosurgery for treatment of arteriovenous malformation (AVM).

Gamma Knife radiosurgery can be an excellent treatment option for people who have a brain AVM. The treatment is most effective when the tangle of blood vessels in the AVM is clearly limited to one area.

With Gamma Knife radiosurgery, the AVM can be completely obliterated over a three-year period up to 95% of the time, depending on the size and location of the lesion. Gamma Knife radiosurgery is also effective in treating AVMs located in areas of the brain that are difficult to access through conventional surgery.

Gamma Knife radiosurgery is non-invasive and the Gamma Knife is not a knife. Because no incision is required, Gamma Knife radiosurgery surgery can be a safer option than conventional surgery. Rather than removing the tumor, Gamma Knife radiosurgery damages the cells so they are unable to reproduce, and the mass stops growing. The revolutionary technology uses precisely focused, beams of radiation to stop the tumor's growth without harming other nearby tissue..This is especially important when a tumor is located in inaccessible area or near critically important areas of the brain.

Minimally invasive Gamma Knife radiosurgery is nearly painless and has no risk of infection compared to conventional surgery. Gamma Knife radiosurgery is a good option for high-risk patients with conditions like diabetes or hypertension. Most patients are able to return home on the day of treatment and resume normal activities the next day.

About Washington hospital

Washington Hospital, located in Fremont, California, was the first hospital in the United States to treat patients using the new Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion™, a revolutionary alternative to traditional open-brain surgery and/or daily radiation treatments, which are administered from four to six weeks. The Gamma Knife Perfexion instead uses focused doses of radiation without making a single incision to treat malignant and benign brain tumors in a matter of hours.

Washington Hospital's Gamma Knife® Program is led by one of the most accomplished teams of specialized physicians, physicists and nurses. Medical Directors neurosurgeon Sandeep Kunwar, MD, and radiation oncologist David Larson, MD, PhD, are both nationally and internationally recognized for their expertise, innovation and leadership in the field of Gamma Knife radiosurgery. Both board certified physicians, together they have more than 23 years of experience performing thousands of successful procedures.