Addressing press persons in Hubballi on Friday, Senior Consultant, Neuro and Vascular Interventional Radiologist Venkatesh H.A., said the patient had initially presented with neurological symptoms and was later diagnosed with a right pulmonary arteriovenous malformation and a left cerebral abscess.
Explaining the procedure, Dr. Venkatesh said that Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) was first performed to obtain a detailed view of the pulmonary blood vessels and identify the abnormal connection. The procedure took more than an hour.
“We first identified the feeding artery, the abnormal vascular connection and the draining vein through angiography. A catheter was then navigated through the blood vessels to the site of the malformation, following which specialised embolic materials were used to block the abnormal blood flow,” he said.
Post-procedure imaging showed the effective occlusion of the abnormal vascular channels, he said.
According to Dr. Venkatesh, PAVMs involve an abnormal direct connection between pulmonary arteries and veins, allowing blood to bypass the normal filtration and oxygenation process in the lungs. In some cases, clots or infected material can pass through the abnormal connection and reach the brain, potentially causing complications such as stroke or brain abscess.
Manjunath H.D., chief operating officer at the hospital, said the case highlighted the importance of specialised vascular and multidisciplinary services being available in the region.
The patient tolerated the procedure well and has been discharged in a stable condition, he said.