Brandie's Story

Brandie was suffering from severe headaches and dizziness for over two years. Occasionally, the severity of these symptoms would leave Brandie to pass out or lose vision in her left eye. After an MRI, Brandie was diagnosed with an AVM.

A brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain. The arteries are responsible for taking oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the brain. Veins carry the oxygen-depleted blood back to the lungs and heart. Left untreated, an AVM can cause strokes, brain damage, or even death.

Watch Brandie's Story

Brandie turned to Penn and met with Dr. Omar Choudhri, a Neurosurgeon who specializes in AVM treatment. "Meeting with Dr. Chroudri he was very knowledgeable about my AVM and made me feel like a person with an actual problem," says Brandie. Surgery seemed like the only option to help Brandie to help improve the symptoms she was dealing with for years. She trusted Dr. Choudhri and her team at Penn.

Successful AVM Surgery

During surgery, Dr. Choudhri opened the membrane around the brain called the dura. After opening this he was able to find the two large blood vessels that where Brandie's AVM was. After several hours of surgery, Dr. Choudhri was able to remove the blood vessel that was causing Brandie's symptoms. Brandie did great and the AVM was removed. The second day after the surgery, Brandie was feeling better.

Today, Brandie is feeling like her old self again, and is getting back to the active life she led before AVM.