A brain aneurysms is a bulging vessel in the brain that is filled with blood. According to the American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology, they are estimated to happen in up to one in 15 people across the nation at some time in their lifetime. Women have a slightly higher risk than men of developing a brain aneurysm. Aneurysms can put pressure on nerves or surrounding brain tissue. They often go undetected until they burst, which causes bleeding in the brain. This is referred to as a subarachnoid hemorrhage and can lead to complications like stroke, permanent brain damage and even death. More than 30,000 people across the nation suffer these types of hemorrhages.
TREATMENT: Sometimes aneurysms are detected and treated before they rupture with surgery or minimally-invasive endovascular coiling. Surgical treatment of aneurysms involves a craniotomy, or removing a portion of the skull. Surgeons stop blood flow to the aneurysm using a tiny metal clip. The bone is then replaced and the incision is closed. The endovascular option is a minimally invasive procedure. The aneurysm is first assessed by inserting a catheter into an artery in the patient's leg and into the head. Tiny platinum coils are threaded through the catheter into aneurysm until all of the space inside it is full. The coils blocks blood flow and prevent a rupture. More than 125,000 patients around the world have been treated with this method. Studies have found many benefits of the minimally invasive treatment over the surgical method. For example, it cuts hospital time in half, reduces the likelihood of new symptoms and disability following treatment, and shortens recovery time from one year to, in some instances, just 27 days. The main goal of treatment after an aneurysm ruptures is to stop the bleeding and prevent brain damage. Subarachnoid hemorrhage patients are treated as soon as possible using the same techniques performed for an unruptured aneurysm: coiling and clipping.
EYELID APPROACH: Surgeons at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) in Pittsburgh, Pa.. are using a new procedure to fix life-threatening brain aneurysms. Instead of making a major incision in the forehead, they are taking a much less invasive approach by making an incision in the eyelid crease. AGH is just one of two hospitals in the United States to offer the procedure on patients who have an aneurysm that have become problematic or are at risk of rupturing. The procedure involves two steps. In the first part, the incision is made and a small piece of bone from the patient's upper eye socket is removed. The second part is a delicate process where the aneurysm is clipped and isolated from the cerebral circulation. It takes about four hours to complete the entire procedure.
The eyelid technique offers many advantages over the traditional methods. According to Khaled Aziz, M.D., director of AGH's Center for Complex Intracranial Surgery, it reduces surgical morbidity and allows for a faster recovery. Patients are able to leave the hospital in just a few days, and because of the location of the incision, the appearance of scars is minimized. Dr. Aziz says the eyelid incision technique is especially ideal for patients with aneurysms located in the front area of the brain and can also be used for cysts and brain tumors.