Brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) carry an elevated risk of stroke, but therapeutic intervention in individuals with unruptured AVMs can sometimes do more harm than good. A new retrospective study reported in Stroke has demonstrated the benefits of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) — one of the least invasive AVM interventions — in patients with small unruptured AVMs: a 53% reduction in the risk of cerebral haemorrhage was observed after SRS. The authors conclude that SRS is a viable therapeutic option for patients with small unruptured AVMs, although they acknowledge that further studies with longer follow-up are required to confirm the advantages of this approach.