Arteriovenous Malformations Expert Care and Diagnosis

If you’re looking for experts to diagnose and treat an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), you need highly trained and experienced neurosurgeons. Turn to our team at UC San Diego Health to help you achieve the best outcome to meet your needs.

Call us today at 619-543-5540

Leaders in the Field of Arteriovenous Malformation

As part of the Neurological Institute at UC San Diego Health, we provide comprehensive care informed by the latest research – often conducted by our own faculty. As national leaders in the field, we’ve earned several distinctions:

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#21 in US News & World Report for Neurology & Neurosurgery
#3 nationally for quality in Vizient, the nation's leading health care performance improvement company
Two Comprehensive Stroke Centers
The region's first Level I Trauma Center
The region's only intra-operative MRI

World-Class Care, Customized for You

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are abnormal connections between the arteries and veins in the brain that usually form before birth. AVMs can restrict the flow of oxygen to neurological tissues. This puts pressure on the brain or spinal cord and causes bleeding. We use three treatment approaches for AVMs that may be used in combination, depending on the size and location of the AVM. These include:

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Endovascular embolization Endovascular embolization using catheters to inject a substance into the artery to close off parts of the AVM and prevent blood flow through it.
Craniotomy Craniotomy (temporary removal of a small portion of the skull bone) to access and resect the AVM from healthy brain tissue. We use precise monitoring and imaging to guide our surgery.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery Delivers precise, high-intensity radiation to an AVM located deep in the brain tissue. This eventually causes the blood vessels feeding the AVM to close off.