Intraoperative embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations in the awake patient.

Fourteen cases of relatively large AVMs within important functional cortical areas, the majority in the dominant hemisphere, are discussed; these AVMs have undergone varying degrees of obliteration by intravascular embolization with IBC in the operating room, under neuroleptanalgesia and local anesthesia. Our belief is that while there have been complications these can hopefully be avoided in the future and that with the evolution of the present technology there will be further refinements in the technique which will eventually allow predictable and definitive treatment of such AVMs.