AVMs happen when a group of blood vessels in your body starts forming incorrectly. In this, the arteries and veins tangle to create direct connections. This usually happens before or after birth.
Most people with AVM have no symptoms or problems. Sometimes a rupture of blood vessels brings the issue to medical attention, and sometimes the correct reason is found after death in an autopsy. This blog will take you through the ins and outs of AVM surgery in India.
Some Fast Facts about AVM
- Most people with AVM will not have any symptoms. Some people do not experience it until they are 50 years of age.
- Women experience it as a result of pregnancy.
- There is no particular reason for AVM’s formation. It could be genetic and can form anywhere in the body. Those AVMs that form near the brain or spinal cord have more long-lasting effects.
- They can cause uncontrolled bleeding and hence can even turn fatal.
- Sometimes AVM can reduce the amount of oxygen going into the brain so it can put pressure on the surrounding tissues.
- An AVM is formed when arteries and veins are not formed correctly in a particular area. Arteries carry blood full of oxygen and empty it into capillaries, which are tiny blood vessels that help blood slow down.
- In an AVM, there are no capillaries, so blood does not slow down, and it does not get to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues. Instead, blood that is flowing very fast (high flow) goes directly from an artery to a vein. Rarely, if there is a lot of flow through an AVM, it can cause the heart to work too hard to keep up, leading to heart failure.
Stages of AVM
| Stage | Characteristic |
| Stage 1 | AVM is quiet, and the skin on the top of AVM may be warm and pink |
| Stage 2 | AVM grows larger |
| Stage 3 | AVM causes pain |
| Stage 4 | Heart failure occurs |
What are the symptoms of AVM?
The symptoms of AVM will depend on where the malformation is created. AVM have a high risk of bleeding. Here are some common symptoms:
- Buzzing or rushing sound in the ear
- Headache
- Seizures
- Loss of sensation
- Muscle weakness
- Changes in vision
- Facial paralysis
- Drooping eyelids
- Problems in speaking
- Changes in the sense of smell
- Bleeding
- Pain
- Stroke
- Numbness in part of the body
- Problem with speech and development
Treatment
AVMs are benign, which means they are not cancerous. Treatment of an AVM in India is primarily focused on managing the symptoms and improving the individual’s quality of life.
Because AVMs tend to expand with time, doctors will start the treatment when AVMs begin causing problems. If an AVM is sensitive or dangerous, it is good to start the treatment sooner.
Treatment Options Available for AVM in India
The primary treatment for AVM is surgery. Surgery is recommended if there is a high risk of bleeding.
Endovascular Embolization is a type of surgery in which the surgeon threads a catheter through arteries to the AVM. A substance is injected close to the parts of the AVM to reduce the flow of blood to the AVM. It is done before brain surgery or radiosurgery to reduce the risk of complications. It is a less invasive method than traditional surgery. In large AVMs, endovascular embolization is performed to minimize stroke-like symptoms by redirecting the blood back to brain tissue.
Resection or Surgical Removal: Resection or surgery for AVM in India is used when the brain AVM has bled and/or is an area that can be reached easily. In this procedure, a surgeon will remove a part of the skull to gain access to the AVM. Resection is used when the AVM can be removed with little risk of bleeding or seizure. If AVMs are in deep parts of the brain, then other treatment options will be recommended by the doctor.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery: This treatment option uses precisely focused radiation to destroy the AVM. Unlike most surgeries, Stereotactic Radiosurgery for AVM in India does not require any cuts. The treatment is mainly performed to treat small AVMs that are hard to remove with traditional surgery.
Future Trends in Brain AVM Surgery
Researchers in India are now working on how to improve the prognosis of hemorrhage in patients with brain AVM. Such findings may assist in enhancing the decision to make a treatment plan.
New imaging techniques are also under consideration. New procedures such as three-dimensional imaging, brain tract mapping, and functional imaging, which tend to show images of blood flow in particular brain regions, are expected. The described techniques might foster higher accuracy and minimize risks while exercising AVMs and sparing surrounding blood vessels.
Further progress with embolization techniques, radiological procedures, and microsurgical approaches is also leading to the surgical management of previously surgically inaccessible brain AVMs. Progress in this area has also made it possible to perform surgical resection of brain AVMs with minimum harm to patients.
Cross Border Care is here to help.
Cross Border Care is the number one medical consultant company in India. We will help you with affordable brain AVM surgery and connect you to the best doctors and hospitals in India.
Contact us today to learn the cost of brain AVM surgery in India. Most cross-border patients choose India for treatment because the price in Bangladesh or the medical expenses of Kenya are likely higher and not so affordable. Also these countries are not so advanced.
