Brain aneurysm repair
Alternative Names: Aneurysm repair - cerebral; Cerebral aneurysm repair; Coiling; Saccular aneurysm repair; Berry aneurysm repair; Fusiform aneurysm repair; Dissecting aneurysm repair; Endovascular aneurysm repair - brain
Brain aneurysm repair is a surgical procedure to correct an aneurysm, a weak area in the wall of a blood vessel that causes the blood vessel to bulge or balloon out. It can leak blood and cause a stroke or bleeding into an area around the brain (also called a subarachnoid hemorrhage).
See also: Aneurysm in the brain
Description of Procedure
You and your doctor will decide the best way to perform surgery on your aneurysm. There are two common methods used to repair an aneurysm:
- Clipping is the most common way to repair an aneurysm. This is done during an open craniotomy. See also: Brain surgery (craniotomy)
- Endovascular repair, most often using a "coil" or coiling, 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 up.
- A metal clip is placed at the base of the aneurysm to prevent it from breaking open (rupturing).
During endovascular repair of an aneurysm:
- The procedure is usually done in the radiology section of the hospital.
- You may have general anesthesia and a breathing tube. Or, you may be given medication 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 small blood vessels in your brain where the aneurysm is.
- Thin metal wires are put into the aneurysm. They then coil up into a mesh ball. Blood clots that form around this coil prevent the aneurysm from breaking open and bleeding.
- During and right after this procedure, you may be given a blood thinner called heparin.
Risks of Brain aneurysm repair
Risks for any anesthesia are:
- Breathing problems
- Reactions to medications
Possible risks of brain surgery are:
- Blood clot or bleeding in 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, and they may last a short while or they may not go away.
Signs of neurological problems include:
- Behavior changes
- Confusion
- Loss of balance or coordination
- Numbness
- Problems noticing things around you
- Speech problems
- Vision problems (from blindness to peripheral vision problems)
- Weakness
Learn more about Brain aneurysm repair
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Copyright 2011 A.D.A.M., Inc.
