Treatment of cerebral arteriovenous malformations: combined neurosurgical and neuroradiologic approach.

Experience with 31 intraoperative embolizations performed on 23 patients is reported. The procedure involves the direct injection of embolic material into the main arterial feeders during craniotomy. The combined effort involves the exposure of the lesion at craniotomy, standard arteriotomy, and fluoroscopically monitored intravascular infusion of contrast material followed by the injection of bucrylate (IBCA, Ethicon, Somerville, NJ) mixed with tantalum or Pantopaque into the feeding vessels and into the interstices of the malformation. It was concluded that the procedure significantly diminishes operating time and blood loss for the lesions that were subsequently resected. Fluoroscopy coupled with high-quality stop-frame videotape recording allows a detailed study of the flow characteristics of the malformation so that polymerization time can be regulated appropriately. Follow-up varied from 3 months to 4 1/2 years. There were two deaths related to the procedure and one additional complication of cortical blindness that partially resolved. None of the survivors rebled. Most of the survivors improved.