Neurovascular Treatments

A cerebral aneurysm occurs when an artery has a weak area. As blood flows into the area, it creates a balloon-like bulge (aneurysm) and pushes it outward. Your aneurysm may stay small or enlarge. Over time, a brain aneurysm may get large enough to break and bleed.

Cerebral aneurysm embolization

We provide aneurysm treatment with Guglielmi detachable coils (GDC) embolization.

To begin GDC embolization, we make a tiny cut near an artery in your groin. We insert a catheter (flexible, narrow tube) into the artery. We use real-time X-ray technology to guide the catheter through your blood vessels to the aneurysm.

After placing the catheter inside the aneurysm, we insert a micro-sized platinum coil into the bulge. We continue to add coils through the catheter until they fill the aneurysm. Finally, we remove the catheter.

When the aneurysm is filled with coils, blood can’t get into the bulge. The coils also promote scarring, which thickens the aneurysm walls. As a result, the aneurysm won’t enlarge or rupture.

Following your aneurysm treatment, you stay in the hospital overnight and go home the next day. At home, you can return to most activities. You'll need to avoid strenuous activities for a few days.

An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) occurs when capillaries (tiny blood vessels) are missing. If that happens, new abnormal arteries grow to replace them. The new arteries and the veins in the area turn into a tangle of blood vessels called an AVM. An AVM increases your risk of an aneurysm.

AVM embolization

Our experienced Emory Healthcare team performs an embolization to treat AVMs. Instead of using coils, we inject a medical-grade adhesive. The adhesive blocks the abnormal shunts.

Like the cerebral aneurysm embolization, we insert a catheter into an artery in your groin. Then, we guide it to an arterial shunt in the AVM.

We inject the adhesive into the artery through the catheter. After treating one shunt, we move to the next until they're all blocked.

The embolization reduces blood flow through the AVM. As a result, your risk of a blood vessel rupture decreases.

A dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) is a type of AVM that develops in the membranes that cover your brain.

This protective membrane, the dura mater (dura), is a strong tissue attached to your skull. The dura receives blood from several major arteries. A traumatic brain injury, infection or blocked blood vessels can cause an AVM in the dural arteries.

DAVF embolization

An embolization to treat a DAVF follows the same process as for an AVM and a cerebral aneurysm. However, your doctor may block the shunts of a DAVF using medical glue or coils.