Doctors Had No Usual Way to Reach the Dangerous Blood Vessels in His Brain — Then They Tried a New Approach

When Conor O’Rourke was diagnosed with a rare blood vessel abnormality deep inside his brain, his family faced a frightening reality. The condition could have devastating consequences, and the usual treatment route was not available to him.

Conor had a vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation (VGAM), a rare congenital condition in which blood vessels develop abnormally and allow blood to flow in the wrong direction. In his case, the abnormal vessels were draining toward blood vessels in the spinal cord and brain stem, gradually affecting movement on his left side.

Doctors at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, England, faced a difficult challenge: how could they reach and close off the dangerous vessels when the standard approach was blocked?

A Rare Condition Deep Inside the Brain

The vein of Galen is a large blood vessel deep in the brain that helps carry blood back toward the heart. When the blood vessels around it develop abnormally, blood can flow under unusual pressure and place strain on the heart and brain.

VGAM can lead to serious complications, including heart failure and brain damage. Conor was diagnosed when he was 11 months old, after doctors identified the condition and began assessing how it was affecting him.

His case was particularly challenging because the usual treatment involves guiding a catheter through a blood vessel in the groin and up toward the brain. Doctors then use a special material to block the abnormal vessels and redirect blood flow.

But Conor’s anatomy made that route inaccessible. Without another option, the abnormal blood flow could continue to damage the delicate structures around his spinal cord and brain stem.

When the Standard Treatment Was Not Possible

For Conor, the problem was not simply identifying the malformation. Doctors also had to find a way to reach it safely.

His neurosurgical team at Alder Hey knew that conventional open surgery for a malformation deep within the brain could carry substantial risks. However, leaving the condition untreated also posed a serious danger, including the possibility of paralysis.

The team began planning an alternative approach involving specialists from several disciplines, including paediatric neurosurgery, interventional neuroradiology, and interventional radiology. Great Ormond Street Hospital also sent specialists to observe and learn from the new technique.

The case required careful planning because the doctors needed to reach the abnormal blood supply without relying on the route that had become unavailable.

A New Surgical Approach

On March 5, 2025, Conor underwent the operation at Alder Hey.

Instead of accessing the abnormal vessels through the usual catheter route, the team performed a craniotomy, a procedure in which surgeons open the skull to reach the brain. They then directly accessed the vessel draining the malformation and inserted a glue-like substance to block the blood flowing through the wrong pathways.

The operation combined open surgery with advanced imaging technology. The hospital’s specialised operating theatre allowed the team to view blood vessels in real time during the procedure, helping them guide their instruments precisely.

According to Alder Hey, the doctors believed this was among the first reported cases in the world in which the blood supply to this type of malformation had been successfully blocked using this direct open approach.

It was a carefully considered response to a problem that had left Conor with few conventional treatment options.

Home Again Just Ten Days Later

Conor was able to return home on March 15, just ten days after the operation.

His mother, Lucy, recalled that he woke after surgery happy and alert, asking for chips. For a family that had faced the possibility of a devastating outcome, that simple request became a moment to treasure.

Lucy described the medical and support teams as extraordinary, saying their work had changed the future her family could imagine. She also expressed gratitude for the aftercare that continued after Conor left the hospital.

The operation was an important milestone, but the changes his family noticed afterward were meaningful too.

A Little Boy Looking Toward the Future

Before surgery, Conor’s speech development had stalled. After the operation, his mother reported that his speech and cognitive development began progressing, with new words and phrases appearing regularly.

He showed a growing interest in numbers, colours, shapes, and books. By August 2025, he had celebrated his third birthday and graduated from nursery.

His journey illustrates how rare congenital conditions sometimes demand highly individual treatment plans. The technique used for Conor was developed because the usual route could not reach the abnormal vessels in his case.

Although his experience does not mean the same approach is suitable for every child with VGAM, it demonstrates the importance of specialist teams, advanced imaging, and creative problem-solving when standard treatments are not possible.

Conor’s story is not only about a complex operation. It is also about a child returning home, finding his voice, enjoying his favourite books, and giving his family reasons to look ahead with hope.

Source: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Trust, “World first technique pioneered at Alder Hey saves young Conor’s life,” August 8, 2025.