Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 7, 2025
Comprehensive Endovascular and Open Surgical Management of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations
Published on: October 20, 2017
Augmented reality-assisted microsurgical resection of brain arteriovenous malformations: illustrative case
Lea Scherschinski1,2, Ian T McNeill1, Leslie Schlachter1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; and.
Background:
Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the brain are vessel conglomerates of feeding arteries and draining veins that carry a risk of spontaneous and intraoperative rupture. Augmented reality (AR)-assisted neuronavigation permits continuous, real-time, updated visualization of navigation information through a heads-up display, thereby potentially improving the safety of surgical resection of AVMs.
Observations:
The authors report a case of a 37-year-old female presenting with a 2-year history of recurrent falls due to intermittent right-sided weakness and increasing clumsiness in the right upper extremity. Magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance angiography, and cerebral angiography of the brain revealed a left parietal Spetzler-Martin grade III AVM. After endovascular embolization of the AVM, microsurgical resection using an AR-assisted neuronavigation system was performed. Postoperative angiography confirmed complete obliteration of arteriovenous shunting. The postsurgical course was unremarkable, and the patient remains in excellent health.
Lessons:
Our case describes the operative setup and intraoperative employment of AR-assisted neuronavigation for AVM resection. Application of this technology may improve workflow and enhance patient safety.
