The available options should be known if you suffer from a cerebral aneurysm. This article will discuss the benefits and risks of treatment, as well as information about the OHSU Brain Institute’s expertise in treating brain aneurisms. It also addresses the effectiveness of different aneurysm treatments.
Efficacy of aneurysm treatment
Aneurysm treatments are evaluated on several outcomes. These include complete or near-complete obstruction. 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 evaluated complex wide-neck, bifurcation theeurysms and their occlusion. The majority of aneurysms remained occlusive six months after surgery, according to the study. The angiographic appearance of the aneurysms was also stable or improved. It also revealed that an extremely small number of aneurysms could recur during long-term follow up.
Risk of rupturing
The type of aneurysm and the severity of rupture are dependent on its treatment. Aneurysms that occur in the vertebral arterial, vertebrobasilar joint, and basilar vein are more likely to rupture than those that occur in the anterior circulation. Patients with aneurysms greater than 10mm in size are at increased risk.
Smoking and alcohol abuse are other risk factors. Aneurysm rupture can be caused by the damage that cigarette smoking does to the arteries. High blood pressure can also lead to rupture. Larger aneurysms can rupture without warning. Patients with posterior communicating artery aneurysms are also more likely to rupture than those in any other part of the body.
Treatments for aneurysms
Procedures to treat aneurysms can be categorized into two main types: open surgery and endovascular coiling. Endovascular coiling, on the other hand, is less invasive and more complex. Both require the use of a catheter for passage through the blood vessels.
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. Once the coil is in place, it will help seal off the opening of the aneurysm. Sometimes multiple coils might be needed.
Expertise of the OHSU Brain Institute on treating brain aneurysms
The OHSU Brain Institute has extensive expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of brain aneurysms, which are balloon-like masses that develop in the arteries of 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 occur when the artery walls are weak and they can burst at any time. They can be as small or large as one quarter of an inch. They can form anywhere in the brain. However, most occur near the arteries that connect the brain to the base of skull. A saccular type, also known as an aneurysm (or saccular), is an aneurysm attached to an arterial by a stem. This can have either a narrow neck or one with a wide neck.