Treating Brain Aneurysms Without Surgery

Detatchable coil embolization, as the procedure is called, is less costly than surgery and requires less recovery time. This method allows doctors to treat cerebral aneurysms that previously were considered inoperable. In-hospital recovery from a craniotomy that has not ruptured takes five to eight days, with another two to three weeks of home recovery. However, some aneurysms are impossible to coil and therefore require open brain surgery. It is more likely that an aneurysm will recur following coil embolization, compared to surgery, so patient follow-ups are performed every two to five years.

"A patient is best served by high-quality treatment by experts in both fields,” said Jacques Dion, M.D., professor of radiology and neurosurgery and head of interventional radiology at Emory University Hospital (Atlanta, GA, USA). He cautioned, "It is not in a patient's best interest to accept treatment from a hospital that sees only three brain hemorrhages a year.” Dr. Dion spoke on the procedure at a media briefing held by the Radiological Society of North America in New York (RSNA, NY, USA).




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