Arteriovenous Fistulas (AVFs) Research and Innovation in Children
The Cerebrovascular Surgery and Interventions Center continually adopts, enhances and pioneers new minimally invasive strategies and devices to treat arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) safely in the youngest children. Our extensive experience with AVFs, captured in a comprehensive database, allows us to track long-term outcomes, compare the results of different procedures and improve our quality of care. Some of our initiatives in research include the following:
- 3D printing to model brain and vascular anatomy - Working with the Simulations group at Boston Children’s Hospital, Edward Smith, MD, and Darren Orbach, MD, PhD, are pioneering the creation of precision 3D models of individual patients’ brains and blood vessels, using the data from brain scans. These models, created with special digitally guided printers that lay down different types of molten plastic, are helping our physicians plan neurosurgical and embolization procedures in advance.
- A variety of novel techniques developed and tested here have allowed safe use of catheters and endovascular devices in infants’ tiny vessels.
- New techniques have dramatically improved safety and reduced children’s radiation exposure during endovascular embolization. Working closely with fluoroscopy equipment vendors to adjust and optimize technical factors, we have demonstrated that it is possible to achieve high-quality imaging at low radiation doses. Read more.
- We successfully adopted Onyx, an improved material used for endovascular embolization in adults, to treat dural AVFs and other cerebrovascular malformations in children. We have more experience using Onyx in children than any other center, and our safety record is unparalleled.
- We have conducted research implicating mutations in the gene RASA1 as one potential cause of spinal AVF in children.
