- Father lived for years knowing abnormal blood vessels deep inside his brain could rupture at any moment
- Leeds doctors turned to pioneering treatment after conventional options ran out – and the dangerous mass is now completely closed
A Bradford man who spent 15 years living with the threat of a potentially catastrophic brain haemorrhage has become the first patient in the UK to receive a groundbreaking treatment for a rare and life-threatening abnormality deep inside his brain.
Zehair Ayub had been living with an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) – a dangerous tangle of abnormal blood vessels where arteries and veins connect directly instead of allowing blood to flow normally through the brain.
His condition was particularly serious.
The AVM was buried deep inside his brain and had developed a large aneurysm, which was pressing against the nerves responsible for his sight.
His vision was deteriorating. He suffered seizures and weakness on the right side of his body. He also lived with the knowledge that the fragile blood vessels could rupture, causing a devastating or fatal brain bleed.
After years of failed treatments and being told conventional surgery was simply too dangerous, doctors at Leeds Teaching Hospitals offered him one final option.
It would make medical history in Britain.
“Everything changed almost overnight”
Zehair was first diagnosed in 2011. Until then, he had been fit, healthy and active, playing football and cricket and regularly going to the gym.
“When I was diagnosed, I was fit and healthy,” he said. “I played football and cricket, went to the gym, and was always active. Then almost overnight, everything changed.
“I had gone from never hearing of an AVM to being told I had this rare condition that could cause a catastrophic bleed.
“I had a young family and my own business. I just wanted to get back to normal and carry on with my life.”
He underwent Gamma Knife therapy in Sheffield, a highly targeted form of radiation treatment, but it failed to eliminate the AVM.
Over the following years, other possibilities were explored. None offered a good enough chance of success.
Because of the AVM’s position deep inside Zehair’s brain, conventional surgery was considered too risky.
So he was left living with it.
15 years with a ‘ticking time bomb’
As the years passed, Zehair’s symptoms became increasingly severe.
He experienced seizures, weakness on his right side and worsening problems with his sight and coordination.At the sam e time, the risk of a major haemorrhage remained.
“For 15 years I lived with the AVM, but I was eventually told there were no treatment options left,” he said.
Everything was worsening quickly. My eyesight was failing, my coordination declining, and I knew I needed help.
After exhausting all viable treatment options over 15 years, Zehair Ayub was offered hope after meeting Consultant Interventional Neuroradiologist Dr Fathallah Islim, at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.
Zehair Ayub with Dr Fathallah Islim – Consultant Interventional Neuroradiologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals
Dr Islim had completed a fellowship at a German centre involved in the European trial of an innovative treatment that offered a potential new way to tackle complex AVMs.
The treatment was not being trialled in the UK.
But given the severity of Zehair’s condition and the lack of viable alternatives, Dr Islim secured special approval to use it on compassionate grounds.
The treatment that changed everything
At the centre of the breakthrough is ihtObtura, a new liquid embolic agent.
The material is injected through blood vessels leading to the AVM, helping close them and stop abnormal blood flow through the dangerous tangle.
But it has an important difference from existing embolic materials.
After a short period, ihtObtura is no longer visible on medical scans.
This means doctors can see the blood vessels more clearly during subsequent procedures, potentially allowing large and complex AVMs to be treated safely over several stages.
International experts involved in the trial travelled to Leeds General Infirmary to work alongside the Leeds team.
Between September 2025 and May 2026, Zehair underwent four rounds of treatment.
The outcome was remarkable: his AVM is now completely closed.
The aneurysm has disappeared, and his physical symptoms have significantly improved.
“I knew I was taking a chance”
For Zehair, agreeing to undergo a treatment never before used on a patient in Britain meant stepping into the unknown.
“I knew I was taking a chance on a new treatment, but I had complete confidence in the team,” he said.
“Having experts from Leeds working alongside colleagues from Germany and Spain gave me real reassurance that I was in the best possible hands.”
Dr Islim said treating brain AVMs from inside the blood vessels can carry significant risks, particularly in cases previously considered untreatable.
“Endovascular treatment of brain AVMs is often reserved for untreatable AVMs,” he said.
“The risks are high and daunting for both the clinician and patient.
“Obtura is a new, innovative material that has helped cure Zehair’s AVM and help him get his life back, which made us very happy for him and his family.
“We are eager to get European and UK approval for use and help other patients in the near future.”
For Zehair, the UK-first procedure has ended a medical ordeal stretching back to 2011.
“I’m incredibly grateful to everyone involved,” he said.
“Dr Fathallah and the whole team gave me hope when I thought I’d run out of options.
“Thanks to this treatment, not only has my own life changed, but I know other patients will benefit from it in the future too.”
The Leeds team is now hoping the treatment will secure European and UK approval so it can potentially be offered to other patients with complex brain AVMs.
