Neurosurgeon
Wednesday December 12, 2007 | 4 comments
Today we met with Dr. Loyola, the neurosurgeon. He, in turn, referred me to Dr. Duke Samson, supposedly the best guy for this particular condition and I hope to see him sometime this week. According to Dr. Loyola, AVM’s are basically birth defects that get worse with age. One of the arteries resting on my visual cortex connects directly with a vein, skipping capillaries.
Arteries pump blood from the heart, which means they are muscular and pressurized. Veins return used blood back to the heart and are not designed to handle the kind of pressure arteries deliver. Because my artery flows directly into a vein, it makes the vein balloon in size to accommodate arterial pressure. Eventually these veins rupture and bleed from wear and tear and because they cannot expand any further.
My AVM is 4 cm in diameter at this point, which makes it a 4 on a scale from 1 to 5. At my age AVM’s usually present as seizures, so I am thankful that I have only had headaches so far. Sounds like treatment for AVM’s consists of a series of procedures where special glue-like mass is injected into the AVM nidus to make it shrink and shrivel up.
The part I don’t like about these procedures:
1. It will most likely take several surgeries, repeated every 3-6 weeks.
2. The glue is carried to AVM via an artery from your leg all the way to your brain.
2. Local anesthetic is all you get, which means you are awake for the whole thing. Yikes.
According to Dr. Loyola, my AVM is located in a very low risk and accessible part of the brain. Risks include bleeding out or having a stroke during surgery and losing part of my visual field (since this thing is smack in the middle of my visual cortex). He said it’s unlikely I will go blind. Thanks, doc!
Dr. Loyola didn’t seem too worried and said my risks for AVM rupture or bleeding are very low. He suggested I forgo scuba diving at this point, but seemed quite positive about flying, as long as the airplane doesn’t do any “flips in the air.” Not sure what that means.
At this point we are waiting to see Dr. Duke and will make further travel determinations based on his conclusions. I’ll keep everyone posted, oh, and I am now the proud keeper of 55 beautiful pictures of my brain and sinuses that weigh no less than 10 lb according to my estimation. I might even frame a couple :)
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oh my gosh Olga, I just caught up with all your posts! I’m so sorry you are going through this. Andrew and I will defiantly keep you both in our prayers.
Kristin: Thanks, girl! I’ll keep updating. Hope you feel better too.
Olga & Nathan: I will certainly be praying for you both.
But for you who fear my name, the Sun of righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. – Malachi 4:2 NLT
By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. – Acts 3:16 NIV
Blessings on you both.
My 19 year old son was diagnosed with AVM. Like you, he has suffered from migraines. After many scans and consultations, we have decided on surgery from Dr. Samson. (not until summer)
Please keep me posted on your decision and recovery.
God bless.
Leslie Novosel