Brain aneurysm indicates a ballooning within the brain’s blood vessel and its look is almost similar to a berry hanging over a stem. This problem may cause rupture or leakage and leads to bleeding within the brain referred commonly as hemorrhagic stroke. Ruptured brain aneurysm usually takes place within the brain and the nearby tissues covering it. This form of hemorrhagic stroke refers to subarachnoid hemorrhage, abbreviated as SAH.
Can a Brain Aneurysm Be Cured?
Neurologists choose two common types of surgical treatment options to cure or rather treat the problem of ruptured brain aneurysm. These include-
Surgical Clipping: Surgical clipping refers to a procedure related to closing off the brain aneurysm. In this procedure for curing brain aneurysm, neurosurgeons remove a specific section of one’s skull to gain access to the aneurysm and locate the nearby blood vessels responsible for feeding of the aneurysm. Later on, they place a small metallic chip on the neck area, where aneurysm formed to prevent the flow of blood from/to it.
Endovascular Coiling: Endovascular coiling procedure for curing brain aneurysm is a less invasive one than surgical clipping method. Here, surgeons insert a catheter or a hollow plastic tube within the artery or often in the groin and threads, the same via your body towards the place aneurysm has formed. After this, surgeons utilize a guide wire for pushing a soft platinum wire via catheter and within the area of formed aneurysm. This wire coils up within the aneurysm to cause disruption in the blood flow and seals off the artery’s aneurysm.
Both of these procedures mentioned here pose various potential risks, especially bleeding within the brain or blood flow towards the brain. Although, endovascular coil is relatively less invasive and initially gives safe option; it may pose huge risk related to repeat procedures in the near future because of the problem related to reopening of cerebral or brain aneurysm.
Latest Treatment to Cure Brain Aneurysm
Flow Diverters and Tubular Stent Implants: With the objective to give the best possible treatment to patients dealing with ruptured brain aneurysm, medical experts have come up with latest treatment in the form of tubular stent implantations or flow diverters. This equipment performs their functions by simply diverting the flow of blood from a sac of aneurysm.
Diversion plays prime role to stop the movement of blood within the brain aneurysm and thereby, stimulates the body in healing the actual site as well as encourages reconstruction of the respective parent artery.
Flow diverters have found their wide applications in curing large aneurysms, which may not undergo safe treatment with any other option. Your consulted neurosurgeon and/or interventional neuro-radiologist give recommendations according to the location, size and actual appearance of brain aneurysm, along with the ability to undergo any surgical procedure and other related factors.
Other Treatments to Cure Ruptured Brain Aneurysms
Other treatments associated with curing ruptured form of brain aneurysms aimed to relieve symptoms and manage various complications. These are:
Pain Relievers- Pain relievers including acetaminophen are useful for the treatment of headache.
Calcium Channel Blockers: Calcium channel blockers aimed at the prevention of calcium to enter the blood vessel walls and cells. These medicines are helpful in reducing the erratic narrowing of nearby blood vessels, which may involve complications associated with ruptured form of aneurysm. Especially, nimodipine reduces the risk related to delayed brain injury takes place via insufficient flow of blood after SAH from ruptured form of brain aneurysm.
Interventions: The main objective of interventions or intravenous injections (popularly known as vasopressor) is to elevate the blood pressure or B.P for overcoming resistance possessed by various narrowed blood vessels. Alternatively, a few doctors recommend for angioplasty to prevent the problem of stroke. This process involves the usage of a catheter for inflating tiny balloons, which expand a narrowed blood vessel within the human brain. Even doctors prescribe vasodilator drug for the expansion of blood vessels in affected areas.
- Title: “Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: Natural History, Clinical Outcome, and Risks of Surgical and Endovascular Treatment.” Authors: Wiebers DO, Whisnant JP, Huston J 3rd, et al. Journal: The Lancet. 2003 Mar 15;362(9378):103-110. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)13860-3 Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12867109/
- Title: “Endovascular Treatment of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms.” Authors: Molyneux A, Kerr R, Stratton I, et al. Journal: New England Journal of Medicine. 2002 Aug 8;347(7):569-576. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa020263 Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12181406/
- Title: “Endovascular Coiling versus Neurosurgical Clipping for People with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Haemorrhage.” Authors: Molyneux AJ, Kerr RS, Birks J, Ramzi N, Yarnold J, Sneade M. Journal: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2005 Apr 18;(4):CD003085. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003085.pub2 Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16235375/
- Title: “Flow Diversion for Intracranial Aneurysms: A Review.” Authors: Brinjikji W, Lanzino G, Cloft HJ, Rabinstein AA, Kallmes DF. Journal: JAMA. 2015 Jun 16;313(23):2451-2458. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2015.5953 Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26080343/
- Title: “Management of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: A Guideline from the Japanese Society of Neuroendovascular Therapy and the Japanese Stroke Society.” Authors: Shimizu K, Nishikawa A, Izumi T, et al. Journal: Neurologia Medico-Chirurgica (Tokyo). 2012;52(4):168-220. DOI: 10.2176/nmc.52.168 Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22466917/
Also Read:
- What It Feels Like To Have A Brain Aneurysm, Know its Treatment & Recovery
- Detecting Brain Aneurysm: What Does It Feel Like When You Have A Brain Aneurysm?
- Can You Fix A Brain Aneurysm?
- What Are The Long Term Effects Of A Brain Aneurysm?
- Can You Remove A Brain Aneurysm?
- Can You Tell if You Have a Brain Aneurysm?
