Postoperative management and follow-up after resection of arteriovenous malformations

Abstract

Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) of the brain is a rare condition with an estimated incidence rate of 2.05 cases per 100,000 person-years,1 primarily treated in specialized clinics. To prevent AVM from bleeding, treatment via microsurgery, Stereotactic Radiosurgery or Endovascular Embolism can be undertaken. The success of surgically treated patients largely depends also on the proper postoperative management of the patient. This review will focus on the postoperative management after surgical treatment with specific emphasis on the unique condition in patients with an Arteriovenous Malformation, imaging routine postoperatively and follow-up after microsurgical resection of an AVM, presenting the current state in the literature. Here, the focus shall be on so called low-grade AVM, namely Spetzler-Martin grade I and II, which are preferably treated surgically rather than radiosurgical or endovascular.