Hi I am new to this group. I have had a cavernoma resection on my brainstem in 2008. Am completely recovered but am now facing gamma knife radiation for an avm on my anterior pons. Anyone else with experience of gamma knife on an avm on the brainstem? Any insight would be great.
You may wish to join this sub-group…http://www.avmsurvivors.org/group/brainstem-avm-cavernous-malformation.
This is the link to all our sub-groups…http://www.avmsurvivors.org/groups including a gamma knife one. You can also use the search box located at the top right hand side of this page and type in the words anterior pons.
I had radiation on mine. My one year MRI didnt show much change. I go for my two year follow up in a couple weeks. Since all this happened I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and next week I am getting more blood work done because of possible diabetes now also.
Thanks. Where was your avm located Dana?
My 23 year old son has a medullary avm, which is lower in the brain stem He had gamma knife in May. The thing to find out and consider seems to relate to the size of your avm. The larger it is the higher the dose of radiation and the greater risk of injury from the radiation. If they can give what is considered to be a standard dose, from what our doctors said there is much less chance of radiation injury. So far my son does not seem to have any effects from the radiation. Best of luck to you.
It is in the hypothalamus. Two year MRI still didnt show much change.