BRAIN ANEURYSM

Overview

Brain aneurysm is the bulging or ballooning of a blood vessel supplying the brain. Brain aneurysms are present in 1 to 2% of the population. Those aged 40-60 years are most likely to be affected.

SYMPTOMS

  • Headaches
  • Double vision

The most serious complication is bursting or rupture of the aneurysm that leads to severe sudden episodes of headache and immediate death in up to 20% of affected patients. In the remaining affected population, it leads to serious haemorrhagic stroke that is potentially debilitating if left untreated.

RISK FACTORS

Some of the known risk factors include:

  • Family history
  • Smoking
  • Hypertension
  • Polycystic kidney disease
  • Age over 50 years.

DIAGNOSIS

A simple CT scan or an MRI scan is all that is needed to diagnose a brain aneurysm and plan treatment. 

OUR TREATMENT

Brain aneurysms are a treatable condition and the best time to treat it is before it ruptures.

Coiling is a minimally invasive technique and a common alternative to the traditional open surgery method of clipping.

  • Coiling may be balloon or stent assisted.
  • Another method is to use a special flow diverter stent to treat the aneurysm. 
  • Involves a small incision in the groin to access a blood vessel.
  • Small catheters and wires are put through the incision and directed to the brain to block off the aneurysm.
  • The treatment time and length of recovery period are both much shorter than open surgery (1-2 days if the aneurysm is unruptured).

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