Doctor knows best.

When you’re discussing treatment options for an AVM with your doctor, be sure to ask him or her the following questions. Print this page out and take it with you.

General questions

  • What is my prognosis? What is my risk of a brain hemorrhage now and in the future?

  • Can I expect to return to my routine lifestyle? If not, what limitations do you expect for me?

  • What is the time frame for your recommended treatment scheme?

  • Can we do a functional MRI prior to treatment to determine the potential impact of treatment on my brain?

If you are considering craniotomy surgery

  • Explain the surgical procedure to me.

  • How many AVM surgeries do you do each year?

  • How many AVM surgeries have you performed on AVMs in the location where mine is?

  • What is the overall success rate with AVM surgeries?

  • What is your success rate with AVM surgeries? (Don’t be afraid to ask this; it’s an important question.)

  • What methods do you use to find the AVM for surgery?

If you are considering Gamma Knife radiosurgery

  • What is the success rate for total obliteration with Gamma Knife?

  • What is your success rate for total obliteration with Gamma Knife?

  • Does my risk of hemorrhage go up after Gamma Knife?

  • What are the risks of this treatment, from highest to lowest?

  • What methods do you use to find the exact location of the AVM for Gamma Knife?

  • What is the time frame over which I can expect Gamma Knife tratment to cure the AVM?

  • Why is the Gamma Knife treatment a better option for me over craniotomy surgery?

  • What medications will you prescribe for me after Gamma Knife treatment? Why? How long will I be on them? What are their side effects? (These questions are particularly important for anti-seizure medications.)

If you are considering embolism

  • Explain the steps in the embolization procedure to me.

  • What is the lifetime of the adhesive you plan to use in my embolism?

  • How many AVM embolisms do you do in a year?

  • What percentage of embolizations conducted under your guidance result in stroke? (Note: the answer should be 5% or less.)

  • What are the risks of this treatment, from highest to lowest?

  • Does my risk of hemorrhage go up after embolism?

  • What is the success rate for eliminating AVMs with embolization?

  • What is your success rate for eliminating AVMs embolization?

  • What method(s) do you use to localize (find the exact location of) the AVM for embolization?