Getting Started

why all the confusion?

In the general population, vascular malformations are relatively rare, most physicians seeing only a handful in the course of their professional career. The medical literature in this field is filled with old theories, techniques, and terminology – many physicians still call all vascular lesions “hemangiomas,” a fundamental mistake which can lead to faulty diagnosis and ill-advised treatment.

what you may have experienced in the past

Most of the patients we see on a daily basis have seen multiple physicians and received a wide range of advice. Many have been misdiagnosed in the past and received ineffective or even harmful attempts at treatment. At The AVM Center at Lenox Hill, our goal is to provide accurate information and the most current treatments currently available for both pediatric and adult patients – our youngest patients are literally hours old, and our oldest is 88.

We’d like to clear things up For You

In the following pages, we have assembled some of the basic facts you will need to understand these conditions and help make informed decisions regarding treatment. As you may have already have realized, there is no substitute for a full work-up, including a complete history, physical examination, imaging and laboratory studies. The following information is intended to make you a better-informed patient or parent prior to having a full consultation.
initial consultation

In Person

  • If you live with a reasonable travel distance, the most effective way to get started is to call for an office consultation. When you come, you should bring any imaging studies (MRI, CT, ultrasound) with you – they should be the images themselves (film, CD, etc), not just a written report, as these are often inaccurate and we need to review the studies ourselves.
  • You should also bring any written reports of prior consultations, surgeries, or other treatments which have been performed in the past.
  • If you do not have these materials available or are unsure how to obtain them, our staff can usually help you locate them or request studies directly from other institutions.

Out of Town

  • We have the capability to review studies and provide advice through this website. While this is obviously not the same as a full clinical consultation, we can often provide you with valuable information which will give you some direction on what your next steps should be.
  • We receive inquiries from around the United States and from overseas on a daily basis – we can help facilitate travel here for treatment, or if this is not feasible, help you find resources in your area or give advice to your local physicians