Fetal Care and Surgery Center | Fetal Intervention for Vein of Galen Malformations

The goal of the research procedure is to significantly diminish flow through the malformation before birth. While many of our VOGM patients do very well with conventional treatment after birth, a significant number will still develop severe symptoms within a day or two after delivery. This subgroup has a high risk of illness and death, even with expert care. We have developed a method, based on fetal MRI scans, for predicting which fetuses are likely to have this kind of aggressive clinical presentation. The new fetal research intervention is aimed specifically at this group.

This new intervention is now being offered as a clinical research trial, with the aim of assessing whether it is safe and whether it improves prognosis in terms of survival and neurocognitive development. It will be performed at Brigham and Women’s Hospital by a team of physicians from both institutions. Dr. Darren Orbach (chief of Neurointerventional Radiology and co-director of the Cerebrovascular Surgery and Interventions Center) will perform the brain embolization, while the Brigham and Women’s team is led by Dr. Louise Wilkins-Haug (division director of Maternal Fetal Medicine and Reproductive Genetics).

In March 2023, the team successfully performed this intervention on a fetus with VOGM — the first case of its kind in North America. Born two days later, the infant, named Denver, is now thriving and shows no signs of impairment.

• Read the case report, which was published in the journal Stroke.
• Read Denver’s story.
• Watch Dr. Orbach and Denver’s parents on CNN.
• Watch Dr. Orbach and Denver’s parents on NBC's Today show.
• Listen to Dr. Orbach on the Stroke Alert podcast.

Below: Watch and learn more about vein of Galen malformations and the pioneering treatment approaches available.