AVM does cause seizures, but not necessarily epilepsy. It has not been known for less than 20% of individuals with epilepsy to have AVM. So, if he does happen to have a seizure, I doubt it is epilepsy since he has had no signs of a seizure.

Learning a lot in the last month. I want to find out as much as possible after the removal of the AVM in the temporal lobe (close to the brain stem) what we are to expect. I guess we want to hear everything will be the same as it is now, but pretty sure that is not going to be the case. Praying for the best. Thanks again in a little more understanding.
Colesmom

I used to work for a group of neurosurgeons. We had many AVM patients who made it through surgery and turned out to be just fine on the other end. I will send positive energy your way and hope the result is the same for you!

Arteriovenous malformations are masses of abnormal blood vessels which grow in the brain. They consist of a blood vessel "nidus" (nest) through which arteries connect directly to veins, instead of through the elaborate collection of very small vessels called capillaries. Some people are born with the nidus, but as the years go by, it tends to enlarge as the great pressure of the arterial vessels can not be handled by the veins that drain out of it. This causes a large collection of worm-like vessels to develop (malform) into a mass capable of bleeding at some future time. These malformations are most likely to bleed between the ages of 10 - 55; after 55, the chances of bleeding diminishes rapidly. Before 55, the likelihood of hemorrhaging is betweeen 3 and 4% per year (with a death incidence of about 1%). Once an AVM patient has hemorrhaged, the risk of having another one might approach 20% during the first year, and gradually lessen to about 3 - 4% over the next few years.
AVM s can occur in any area of the brain, and may be either small or large. When they hemorrhage, they usually do so with a limited amount of blood, unlike the hypertensive hemorrhages of other stroke patients. Loss of neurologic function depends on both the location of the AVM and the amount of bleeding. Many patients have very small hemorrhages, often multiple. They may display convulsions before even knowing about the presence of an AVM. Some patients suffer with headaches, often unrelated to the AVM which are usually found with a CT scan or brain MRI. In rare instances, children are born with large AVM's and are found to have heart failure because the malformation makes the heart work beyond its capacity.
These lesions are surrounded by a very discrete layer of abnormal, nonfunctioning brain tissue, thus allowing their removal with relative safety to the surrounding brain. This factor is of the utmost importance to the brain surgeon, who can take advantage of this natural separation between normal brain tissue and the abnormal vascular malformation.

We are being strong and hoping for the best. Of course your first paragraph is what we want to hear. You know doctors they have to tell you all the worse that can happen, but add that he could come out fine. You hold you breath and pray. Thank you again and I will update after the surgery. They are going to keep him in a induced coma for one to two days after the surgery to help the brain heal. It will be a long two days, wish they would put me out also
Colesmom