Locations Main Campus: Chesterfield, MO 63017   |   Locations
314-434-1500 314-434-1500   |   Contact Us

Multimedia Encyclopedia

BACK
TO
TOP
 
E-mail Form
Email Results

 
 
Print-Friendly
Bookmarks
bookmarks-menu

Brain aneurysm repair

Aneurysm repair - cerebral; Cerebral aneurysm repair; Coiling; Saccular aneurysm repair; Berry aneurysm repair; Fusiform aneurysm repair; Dissecting aneurysm repair; Endovascular aneurysm repair - brain; Subarachnoid hemorrhage - aneurysm

 

Brain aneurysm repair is surgery to correct an aneurysm . This is a weak area in a blood vessel wall that causes the vessel to bulge or balloon out and sometimes burst (rupture). It may cause:

  • Bleeding into the area around the brain (also called a subarachnoid hemorrhage )
  • Bleeding into the brain that forms a collection of blood (hematoma)

Description

 

There are 2 common methods used to repair an aneurysm:

  • Clipping is done during an open craniotomy .
  • Endovascular repair, most often using a coil or coiling and stenting (mesh tubes), is a less invasive way to treat some aneurysms.

During aneurysm clipping:

  • You are given general anesthesia and a breathing tube.
  • Your scalp, skull, and the coverings of the brain are opened.
  • A metal clip is placed at the base (neck) of the aneurysm to prevent it from breaking open (bursting).

During endovascular repair of an aneurysm:

  • You may have general anesthesia and a breathing tube. Or, you may be given medicine to relax you, but not enough to put you to sleep.
  • A catheter is guided through a small cut in your groin to an artery and then to the blood vessel in your brain where the aneurysm is located.
  • Contrast material is injected through the catheter. This allows the surgeon to view the arteries and the aneurysm on a monitor in the operating room.
  • Thin metal wires are put into the aneurysm. They then coil into a mesh ball. For this reason, the procedure is also called coiling. Blood clots that form around this coil prevent the aneurysm from breaking open and bleeding. Sometimes stents (mesh tubes) are also put in to hold the coils in place.
  • During and right after the procedure, you may be given heparin. This medicine prevents dangerous blood clots from forming.

 

Why the Procedure Is Performed

 

If an aneurysm in the brain breaks open (ruptures), it is an emergency that needs medical treatment. Often a rupture is treated with surgery. Endovascular repair is more often used when this happens.

A person may have an aneurysm without any symptoms. This kind of aneurysm may be found when an MRI or CT scan of the brain is done for another reason.

  • Not all aneurysms need to be treated right away. Aneurysms that have never bled and are very small (less than 3 mm at their largest point) DO NOT need to be treated right away. These aneurysms are less likely to rupture.
  • Your doctor will help you decide whether it is safer to have surgery to block off the aneurysm before it can break open or to observe the aneurysm until surgery becomes necessary. Some small aneurysms will never need surgery.

 

Risks

 

Risks of anesthesia and surgery in general are:

  • Reactions to medicines
  • Breathing problems
  • Bleeding, blood clots, or infections

Risks of brain surgery are:

  • Blood clot or bleeding in or around the brain
  • Brain swelling
  • Infection in the brain or parts around the brain, such as the skull or scalp
  • Seizures
  • Stroke

Surgery on any one area of the brain may cause problems with speech, memory, muscle weakness, balance, vision, coordination, and other functions. These problems may be mild or severe. They may last a short while or they may not go away.

Signs of brain and nervous system (neurological) problems include:

  • Behavior changes
  • Confusion
  • Loss of balance or coordination
  • Numbness
  • Problems noticing things around you
  • Speech problems
  • Vision problems (from blindness to problems with side vision)
  • Weakness

 

Before the Procedure

 

This procedure is often done as an emergency. If it is not an emergency:

  • Tell your health care provider what drugs or herbs you are taking and if you have been drinking a lot of alcohol.
  • Ask your doctor which drugs you should still take on the morning of the surgery.
  • Try to stop smoking .
  • Follow instructions on not eating and drinking before the surgery.
  • Take the drugs your doctor told you to take with a small sip of water.
  • Arrive at the hospital on time.

 

After the Procedure

 

A hospital stay for endovascular repair of an aneurysm may be as short as 1 to 2 days if there was no bleeding before surgery.

The hospital stay after craniotomy and aneurysm clipping is usually 4 to 6 days. If there is bleeding or other problems, the hospital stay can be 1 to 2 weeks, or longer.

You will probably have imaging tests of the blood vessels ( angiogram ) in the brain before you are sent home.

Follow instructions on caring for yourself at home .

Ask your doctor if it will be safe for you to have MRI scans of the head in the future.

 

Outlook (Prognosis)

 

After successful surgery for a bleeding aneurysm, it is uncommon for it to bleed again.

The outlook also depends on whether brain damage occurred from bleeding before, during, or after surgery.

Most of the time, surgery can prevent a brain aneurysm that has not caused symptoms from becoming larger and breaking open.

You may have more than one aneurysm or the aneurysm that was coiled might grow back. After coiling repair, you will need to be seen by your provider every year.

 

 

Open References

References

Bowles E. Cerebral aneurysm and aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage. Nurs Stand . 2014;28:52-59. PMID: 24749614 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24749614 .

Connolly ES Jr, Rabinstein AA, Carhuapoma JR, et al. Guidelines for the management of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a guideline for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/american Stroke Association. Stroke . 2012;43:1711-1737. PMID: 22556195 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22556195 .

Szeder V, Tateshima S, Duckwiler GR. Intracranial aneurysms and subarachnoid hemorrhage. In: Daroff RB, Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, eds. Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice . 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 67.

Tenjin H, Tanigawa, S, Takadou M, et al. Progress in the treatment of unruptured aneurysms. Acta Neurochir Suppl . 2014;119:33-38. PMID: 24728629 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24728629 .

 

        A Closer Look

         

          Talking to your MD

           

            Self Care

             

              Tests for Brain aneurysm repair

               
                 

                Review Date: 5/9/2016

                Reviewed By: Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, FRCS (C), FACS, Department of Surgery at Providence Medical Center, Medford OR; Department of Surgery at Ashland Community Hospital, Ashland OR; Department of Maxillofacial Surgery at UCSF, San Francisco CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

                The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

                 
                 
                 

                 

                 

                A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.



                Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.