Use of Stent during Procedure May Help Patients with Ruptured Brain Aneurysms

According to the Mayo Clinic, a brain aneurysm is a bulge or extension in a fragile part one of the brain’s blood vessels. When a brain aneurysm ruptures, it causes a bleed in the brain that often results in death. For people who survive a ruptured brain aneurysm, treatment options include brain surgery or embolization, which is less invasive than the surgical alternative.

With embolization, which is also called endovascular coiling, surgeons use a catheter to fill the bulging part of the blood vessel with metal coils, allowing blood flow to be restored. The procedure also prevents the vessel from bleeding again. This procedure is becoming more preferred in patients with ruptures because it is less invasive than surgical clipping, in which a surgeon enters the brain to close off the aneurysm with a metal clip.

However, embolization can be tricky when the aneurysm’s neck is broad, allowing the coils to stick out into the blood vessel. In some cases, this problem can be corrected through the use of a balloon, which is placed on the end of the catheter. But, recent research led by Dr. Olli Tahtinen at Tampere University Hospital in Finland has found that stent-assisted embolization may also be effective in patients with ruptured brain aneurysms.

For the study, researchers looked at 61 people who had experienced a rupture. Each of them underwent an embolization procedure using a stent, which was placed over the neck of the aneurysm to keep the coils in place. Fourty-four of the study participants had a successful procedure, while sufficient blood flow was restored in 39 people.

The study, which was published in the online journal Radiology, may help many patients recover from a ruptured brain aneurysm. As with all new procedures, there is some risk that a problem will arise. If you or a loved one was injured by surgical malpractice in New York City or Long Island, call or e-mail Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. Our surgical malpractice attorneys will evaluate your case for free. We serve clients with Bronx surgical malpractice, Brooklyn surgical malpractice, Queens surgical malpractice, Nassau surgical malpractice and Suffolk surgical malpractice cases.

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