This page has been put together with the support and medical expertise of Meg Seow, staff nurse at Auckland City Hospital, Radiology Department and with consultation from Dr Ayton Hope and Dr Maurice Moriarty, interventional neuroradiologists. We wish to thank these three professionals for their ongoing support and expertise with this website and with the treatment of this condition in New Zealand.
Meg Seow is a highly qualified nurse who works mainly in Neuro Angiography. She has been involved with most of the vein of Galen cases in New Zealand to date. (Click here to read Meg’s profile.)
If you have a question about this condition that you would like Meg to answer please fill in the form below (or e-mail the question to us). Meg will consult with Drs Hope and Moriarty and then answer your questions. Questions and answers will be published on this page to help other families who may have similar questions.
If I have another child will they also have VOG?
There is no evidence to support this opinion.
What caused the malformation? Would it be something I (mother) did during my pregnancy that may have caused the malformation?
The cause of the malformation is unknown and it is neither the mother nor father's fault that the baby has VOG.
Had my baby been diagnosed through an ultra sound scan before she was born, would of there been anything that could have been done for her prior to birth?
When the unborn baby is diagnosed with VOG, the primary physician (doctor or midwife) would refer the mother to antenatal specialists. These specialists would provide care and monitoring for mother and baby for the rest of the pregnancy. There is nothing that can be done to treat VOG until the baby has been born. Once the baby has been born, a team of medical professionals will assess and plan for the baby’s treatment. A team approach is very important with this condition. The team may include neonatologists, cardiologists, intensive care, interventional neuroradiologists and possibly other medical professionals.
What medical people should the parents be in touch with in terms of preparing for the babies treatment once born?
As I described above, the team approach is crucial for the mother and baby's safety. All the specialist will have been notified and will be told when labour begins (see my presentation for details).
Could labour and a vaginal delivery make the malformation or the heart failure any worse compared with delivering by caesarean? Could the pressure placed on the skull during a natural delivery affect the malformation?
I am not the best person to answer these questions, but my understanding is baby’s breathing (circulation) is different when the baby is still in the womb. However, I assume, for the sake of monitoring both patients safety, the doctors might suggest C-section instead of vaginal delivery. If you are in this situation it would be best to discuss this with your antenatal specialist.
Once my child is "cured" (completed all embolisation) will he/she lead a “normal” life?
Once most of the feeding vessels have been embolised, and then your child should lead a “normal” life, however progress depends on the individual and what is a normal life these days?
Once the embolisations have been completed, will my child have ongoing monitoring?
The monitoring of the patient depends on the treatment they had, and how much has been treated. We will keep our data and monitoring as long as necessary from an interventional radiology point of view but monitoring from other medical teams is something I can't answer.
Is there anything that my child should avoid doing physically?
Please avoid anything would cause head injury. We spend so much time planning and operating on the VOG, so please look after the head!!!
Are there any risks associated with my child having dental treatment? Would my child need antibiotics before dental treatment?
Please discuss your child’s condition and embolisation treatment with their dentist or dental nurse before they begin any dental treatment. It is good idea for your child to have antibiotic cover for dental treatment which can be organised with your dentist or dental nurse and family doctor. (PP. Dr Hope).
Is there any ongoing research into this condition?
All the neuro interventional radiologists who are involved in embolisation are taking data. I am sure one day, the research will be published. (Click here to go to our research page.)
What are the risks of embolisation?
Risks of embolisation are; stroke, haemorrhage, dissecting vessels and also any risks associated with general anesthetics.
Is there any risk of the coils going through the veins once they are in place?
Once the coils are in place, they should not migrate through veins. We spend a long time imaging the VOG to measure the size so we can choose the most appropriate coil to be deployed safely in the vessel. This is the reason why the embolisation takes so long to complete.
