You should know the options available to you if you have a brain aneurysm. This article will explain the risks and benefits of treatment as well as provide information about the OHSU Brain Institute's expertise treating brain aneurysms. It also addresses the effectiveness of different aneurysm treatments.
Treatment of aneurysms is effective
Aneurysm treatment effectiveness can be assessed based on a variety of outcomes. An independent observer is responsible for determining the primary efficacy outcome. Efficacy is also assessed by the number of recurrences that occurred during the follow-up period.
One study examined the occlusion rate of complex wide-neck bifurcation aeurysms. The majority of aneurysms remained occlusive six months after surgery, according to the study. The angiographic appearance also remained stable or improved. However, it also showed that a small minority of aneurysms recurred during long-term follow-up.
Risque of rupture
The type of aneurysm and the severity of rupture are dependent on its treatment. Aneurysms located in the basilar artery, vertebrobasilar intersection, and vertebral artery pose higher risks than those found in the anterior circulation. Patients with aneurysms larger than 10mm in diameter are at greater risk.
Smoking and alcohol abuse are other risk factors. Aneurysm rupture can result from the damage caused by cigarette smoke to the arteries. A rupture can also occur when there is high blood pressure. Aneurysms larger than normal tend to rupture quickly. Patients with posterior communicating artery aneurysms are also more likely to rupture than those in any other part of the body.
Aneurysm treatment techniques
The two main types of procedures to treat aneurysms are open surgery and endovascular coiling. Endovascular coiling is less invasive than open surgery. Both involve the use of a catheter to travel through the blood vessel system.
This involves inserting an extremely thin catheter into the neck area of the aneurysm, and then advancing a coil that looks similar to a spring. The coil will be able to seal off the aneurysm opening after it has been placed. Sometimes, multiple coils are required.
Expertise of the OHSU Brain Institute on treating brain aneurysms
The OHSU Brain Institute specializes in the diagnosis and treatment brain aneurysms. These balloon-like masses form in the arteries in the brain. They can rupture and cause a life-threatening blood clot in the brain, known as subarachnoid hemorrhage. Fortunately, the OHSU Brain Institute has some of the best brain aneurysm specialists in the country.
Aneurysms are weakened areas of the artery wall that can rupture at any time. Aneurysms may be anywhere from a few micrometers to the size of a quarter. Although they can occur anywhere in the skull, most of them are found along the arteries connecting the brain to the base. One type of aneurysm, called a saccular aneurysm, is attached to an artery by a stem and can have a narrow neck or a wide one.