Brain Aneurysms

A brain aneurysm is a weakened area of a vessel wall that has “ballooned” out and is at higher risk of rupture than the normal vessel wall.

To prevent rupture of the aneurysm it is possible exclude this area of weakness from the blood flow, thereby preventing its rupture.
Treatment of an aneurysm is determined by its size and by its location. In many cases a patient will have 2 treatment options; traditional neurosurgery where the skull is opened and a clip is placed across the base of the aneurysm or a newer endovascular surgery “aneurysm coiling”, a less invasive option with fewer risks.

As in other endovascular treatments, most commonly heart procedures, a small catheter is inserted through a blood vessel in the groin and threaded up through the chest vessels and neck vessels to the site of the aneurysm.

Once at the site of the aneurysm the minute detachable coils are dispensed through the catheter and placed very carefully inside the aneurysm. The number of coils used depends on the size of the aneurysm.

Recovery time varies for each patient but typically a 1 or 2-day hospitalization has been our experience for patients who electively choose to have their aneurysm treated. For certain patients who have hemorrhaged, from a ruptured aneurysm a longer duration admission of at least 10-14 days minimum is expected. Follow-up angiograms may be performed to evaluate the position of the coils at 6 month, 1 year and 2 years. After this time MRI scans may be used as needed.
Complicated aneurysms may be treated with additional treatment options such as intracranial stent, balloon re-modelling or even blocking the artery from which the aneurysm arises. New methods of aneurysm treatment are always evolving and we will keep you abreast of all options as they occur to give you the best treatment options.

Patients are normally placed on blood thinning medications prior to the procedure and these may be continued after your procedure as well. We will need to see you back in clinic at 2 weeks to ensure there were no problems with our procedure and that there are no developing problems.

Occasionally, it is necessary to re-treat an aneurysm that has been coiled and this will entail adding more coils at a later time to complete treatment.

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