Can anyone tell me what the average size is for a aneurysm and when it would be classed as dangerous.
I had a MRI on 04/01/2012 I was feeling numbness in my head left side,they rang me the next day and asked me to go back for another MRI which I did on the 06/01/2012 .When I went to get the results from the doctor on 16/01/2012 he informed me that I had a 7.2mm aneurysm in my brain and to make a appointment to see a neurosurgeon iv seen one today but he no longer carries out these procedures and has directed me to a surgeon who does I’m am waiting for a appointment.
I get blurr vision in my left eye which I thought might be because of the aneurysm but the optition say it’s not it just my eyesight getting worse . I also have a lot of headache which he confirms is not due to my eyesight but it must be due to the aneurysm .
Now I don’t know what to think and can’t wait for this appointment it’s driving me crazy thinking what to do
Jimmy, we have a lot in common. What is your age and is it a cerebral ani? My left side, clipped cerebral ani is 7.5mm and how they found it was from a vision problem I was having. It was just a blurry spot looking straight ahead. I thought it was that macular degeneration problem. Anyway, both the opthomologist and the retina specialist couldn't find anything wrong that was causing the vision problem. Both suggested I have a MRI which diagnosed the ani. Also my surgeon and my neurologist both stated that my vision problems had nothing to do with the ani. After I found out about the ani, I did some research on the Internet and found out that 7.5mm was the average size of an ani bursting. That confirmed my decision to go ahead with the craniotomy. I think around 3 mm they just watch it for growth.
As for my year long blurred spot (still don't know why) it just went away pre-surgery. I had my craniotomy on 10-10-11. One month post surgery has brought me a new vision problem which was diagnosed this past Monday as vitreous detachment. As for your headaches, I had none of any concern pre-op.
Are you eligible for coiling or are you pursuing a craniotomy? Coiling is a less invasive procedure and many on this forum have had it done. I don't know much about it and I wasn't a good candidate.
By the way I only asked your age because some vision problems can be age & stress related. I wish you the best in whatever decision you make. You have a lot of support, knowledge & friends here, along with our personal experiences. Jeanne
I’ve been looking at this site all day and didn’t think anyone was going to reply but you have.
My age is 53 and I think my sight problem may be down to that as the Opitition also said today and I am getting new glasses .But I’ve had a headache all day again today for the last 14 hrs .I can’t wait for my appointment to try and find out what treatment I’m going to receive but as you will know it’s a major worry.
Yes it is a cerebral measures 7.2 mm x 4.6 mm x 5.2 mm projecting superiorly from the left ICA bifurcation
I seen a neurosurgeon to who performed a operation on my neck a couple of years ago but he’s doest do aneurysm procedures and has directed me to another who does he said thou that it’s not that big and there is only a 1 percent chance of it bustting not sure how he makes that out . don’t know yet if I will be eligible for coil until I see the other one it’s good to be able to talk to somebody that’s going through the same as you are .
Hi Jimmy...When a neurosurgeon looks at your case, they will look at size, location, chances of rupture, your symptoms, your age, your health, etc., then they determine the best plan of action...ie., my annie was 9mm on my basilar tip artery (very bad place)...although took awhile to have Doctors accept my case, when they did...they found my annie was leaking...and within 1 week (prepping for coiling) they did the surgery...now I have a 2mm annie they are watching to see if it grows or causes any problems, to do surgery on that little of an annie can cause more problems...hope this helps...
I know it is hard, but try and stay calm...and live life...except for those things that could cause rupture, no smoking, no drinking, no undo stress, no lifting...
Jimmy, you just refreshed my memory of my conversation I had with my neurosurgeon pre-op. He also told me 1% per year risk per year of it bursting. I didn't understand it. Not sure if was 1% risk up every year, meaning year 2 was 2% higher and so forth. Anyway it was only my choice to operate was because I would have worried to much if I did NOT have the operation, but that is just the way I am.
As for your headache, please seek emergency room treatment if you feel the headache is worse or notice anything odd of concern happening in your body, assuming you cannot get hold of your doctor before your appointment. Jeanne
Thanks for your reply after seeing a neurosurgeon today he said that there was only a 1persent chance of a rupture how is this measured do you know I can’t figure it out
Hi, Jimmy - they must use this 1% on everyone - my dr. said the same. He did explain that it was 1% per year, meaning the 2nd yr, 2%, etc. Like Colleen said, the dr looks at all the criteria. Mine told me (basilar tip, also, like Colleen) that he didn't want me to wait 3 months because of the location and type I had. He also noted my age (56) was another criteria to do it now.
I hope you get into another neurosurgeon soon - they took me within a week after my doctor's office called.
That is the way I took it also. 15 yrs = 15%, so I guess if someone is really young they would go for the repair available to them. I am 61 and chose the clipping because of many other health issues. Also I have always felt that I would be the oddball that the % would not work for.
If anyone finds out this % per year is wrong, please let us know.
You can call yourself lucky that your aneurysm was found before it ruptured. I found out about mine (it was 6mm) last January and on March 22 it was coiled. It was very simple procedure and I was back at my life with no problems. The reason why my doctors wanted to treat it, was because both my mother and my grandmother had also aneurysms and both died of the complications.
Let us know what the neurosurgeon says and hopefully you will feel better after that.
Thanks for your posting. It is so good to read another story of a successful coiling and post coiling experience. Your story will be a help to me as I go evaluate my next steps.
I have had aneurysms for 42 years. For 35 years, I've known that I've had 3 others. When I learned that I had three others, I got 6 opinions evenly divided about surgery, so I took the advice of tne three who said "surgery not required". I have been very blessed that I have not had any problems. all these years. But, I know that this is not everyone's experience and perhaps not the average experience of someone with unruptured aneurysms but it is something to consider. The other thing is that all three were less than 5 mms.
Except for the one that ruptured in 1969, I had not been aware or associated any symptom that I've had with the other aneurysms until yesterday. Please see my blog from my angiogram results just posted. Now it may be necessary to consider treatment.
When I saw my doctor on Monday, I asked how they decided what treatment should be performed he told me mostly the same things that others have written in their responses to you.
Re: statistics - I want to suggest caution in trying to assess the risk of a rupture based on percentages. It would be nice if we could find a professional statistician who could help us assess the probabilities. However, considering that I've had at least one aneurysm for 42 years and the others for at least 35 years, I wanted to share that my neurosurgeon has not suggested to me that I now have a 35 to 42% risk of rupture. He did say that other factors increase my risk of a rupture above the normal 1% per year including my history of a prior bleed, having multiple aneurysms and having a strong family history of aneurysms. But no risk as high as accumulating it by year. (FYI: The hospital that I use is rated in the top 25 in the US for neurorsurgery.)
At Pat D's reqiest. I posted the list questions that I used to get more information on her discussion "Scared". It is not an exhaustive list but it may be you in developing your own list for your discussion with your doctors. Please also take someone with you when you go for your appointments. They may hear something or think of a question that you miss. :-)
If you live in or near a large city where you can get a second opinion, I urge you to take the results of your studies and get another opinion if you are not comfortable with what you are told.