Medical News Today -- When an arteriovenous malformation ruptured near the base of Anna Ruth McLinn’s brain on Oct. 8, 2007, the retired elementary school principal underwent emergency surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center that saved her life. The bulk of the malformation - an abnormal tangle of blood vessels - was removed and a clip was put in place to reduce the risk of further rupture. Because the lesion was positioned adjacent to her spinal cord, however, the surgeon could not safely remove 100 percent.
