What are the surgical treatment options?

Cranial Aneurysms
What are the symptoms of a Cranial Aneurysm?
What are the non-surgical treatment options?
What are the surgical treatment options?
Recovery After Surgery

One popular treatment for aneurysms is surgical clipping. Walter Dandy introduced it in John Hopkins Hospital in 1937. Doctors start the surgery by doing a craniotomy to show the aneurysm. The surgeon then uses a clip picked specifically for the size and location of the aneurysm. This clip is used to close the aneurysm at its base. This kind of treatment provides a low chance that the aneurysm would return.

A less invasive way to clip the aneurysm has developed by the team of UNC neurosurgeon Dr. Anand Germanwala. It was done in January 2009 and involves the use of an endoscope. It is applicable for people who have an aneurysm near the base of the skull. The endoscope and tools are entered into the brain via the nose.

Endovascular coiling is another treatment option, one that involves the use of a catheter. Developed by Guido Guglielmi in 1991 at the UCLA, a small incision is made in the groin, through which the catheter enters the femoral artery, where it then passes into the aorta. From there, it enters the brain and passes through the arteries into the aneurysm itself. Platinum coils are pushed in the aneurysm and left there. The aneurysm is removed by the clotting or thrombotic reaction started by the platinum coils.

Stent-assisted coiling is done in cases where there is a broad-based aneurysm. A stent is passed through the main artery to act as a scaffold for the coils that will be used. However, this process has not been used on intracranial aneurysms yet.