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Stroke & Cerebrovascular
Treatments

Cerebrovascular Treatments at Emory Healthcare

If you have blood vessel abnormalities or a brain or spinal cord condition, you want outstanding care and advanced cerebrovascular treatments.

At Emory, you have access to a team of diverse specialists. We support all aspects of your care, from minimally invasive cerebrovascular procedures and complex brain and spinal cerebrovascular surgery to neurorehabilitation and behavioral health services.

At Emory, you will find world-renowned experts with vast experience in cerebrovascular disease who work together as a team to get you better.

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neurovascular treatments

Comprehensive Cerebrovascular Treatments

Cerebrovascular treatments target problems in the blood vessels of the brain and spinal cord. Blood vessel conditions like brain aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) may threaten your health if they bleed into or around the brain. Ischemic stroke is caused by a blocked artery leading into, or within, the brain that starves the brain of blood.

After we diagnose a cerebrovascular condition, our team may recommend minimally invasive cerebrovascular treatment, neurosurgery or a conservative approach. These procedures lower your risk and cause less discomfort afterward. They also significantly reduce your recovery time.

We have extensive experience performing brain aneurysm treatments. However, our expertise doesn’t stop at aneurysm care. You can receive cerebrovascular procedures for many conditions.

Learn about four cerebrovascular treatments available at Emory Healthcare.

Brain Aneurysm Treatment

A brain 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.

  • 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'll 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.

Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) Treatment

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 hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding into or around the brain).

 

AVMs are varied in their characteristics. Your doctor may recommend treatment or observation of your AVM depending on many factors. Treatment for AVMs includes surgical removal, minimally invasive techniques including embolization, or stereotactic radiosurgery (a one-time treatment of highly focused radiation therapy).

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

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

Dural Arteriovenous Fistula (DAVF) Treatment

A dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) is a type of AVM that develops in the membranes that cover your brain. Some DAVFs require treatment to prevent hemorrhagic stroke, while others do not. Your doctor may recommend treatment of observation of your DAVF depending on its type. 

 

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.

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

Cavernous Malformation Treatment

A cavernous malformation (cav mal) is an abnormal "blob" of tiny blood vessels, known as capillaries. Cav mals can be found throughout the brain or spinal cord. Many are not symptomatic and do not require treatment. Others may be symptomatic and require treatment. Treatment options for cav mals include surgery to remove it, or a minimally invasive treatment call LITT, which uses a small laser to break apart the cav mal, but leave the brain unharmed.

  • The cause of a cav mal is unknown in most cases, but in some patients, they are associated with a genetic condition (CCM1, CCM2, CCM3) that runs in families. At Emory, we work closely with our colleagues in human genetics to provide patients with cav mals, and their families, comprehensive care. 

Brain Aneurysms and Stroke

Our neurologists and neurosurgeons treat brain aneurysm and stroke patients daily. That means when you or a loved one needs help, you can count on the expertise of our dedicated teams.

Learn more about brain aneurysms
Learn more about stroke

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Refer a Patient to Emory Neurology & Neurosurgery

Our team is dedicated to serving you and your patients.

To make a referral or discuss a neurology patient, please call 404-778-3444.

For our neurosurgery team, please call 404-778-5770.

Neurology & Neurosurgery
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Make an Appointment with Emory Neurology & Neurosurgery

Create a MyChart account to schedule online.

For the neurology department, call 404-778-3444.

For the neurosurgery department, call 404-778-5770.

network_intelligence

Make an Appointment with Emory Neurology & Neurosurgery

Create a MyChart account to schedule online.

For the neurology department, call 404-778-3444.

For the neurosurgery department, call 404-778-5770.