Coicidental finding "up to 5 mm"

General
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I’m new here and a little confused but here I am.

In late July I went to the ER for a BP emergency, prob caused by my primary care NP taking me off of one of my drugs. (Another story). Anyway , while there they did a CT and found “Basilar artery: No significant stenosis or occlusion. Fusiform aneurysm of the basilar tip measuring up to 5 mm”.

My cardiologist seemed unimpressed by the size, said he really trusted the interventionalist.

I was referred to the neuro-interventionalist. He showed me the pics and said (in my memory).This may or may not be an aneurysm. We can do an angiogram and see..but there are risks with that.That’s just the jist of what he said. Left it up to me but then i got a call to set up an angiogram.I’m hoping to see him again and ask more questions. I also have an appt with my cardiologisr Dec 17th to see what he thinks.

Should I get a second opinion? I’ve always been vey good advocating for myself or others but not really sure about the second opinion path?

Sorry if I have posted in the wrong area but I though I would jump and get started

This seems like a wonderful resource :slight_smile:

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Hi @annieo497 !

Welcome to our “family.” As we often say, it is not a family anyone would wish to belong, but it is still good to have you with us. You now have a whole team behind you who can relate to what you are going through!

Just for a quick background, I had an aneurysm without knowing it; flash forward to rupture and various related issues so it took me awhile to get through it. So, my perspective is definitely NOT a medical opinion, just from my own experience.

I was pretty ignorant of the medical world prior to my rupture, so that is always my presumption with others. Therefore, feel free to skip around if some of this is too basic for you!

An angiogram is pretty much the “gold standard” when it comes to a diagnosis. What will happen is that the neuroradiologist will either enter through your wrist (radial) or through the groin (femoral), using the artery as a “highway” of sorts to get to the possible aneurysm so they can properly view and diagnose.

I have had several angiograms, sometimes it was a radial entry and sometimes it was a femoral entry. Why I mention this is that recovery varies depending on whether it is radial v. femoral. Radial (wrist) is a much quicker recovery - about 2-3 days - whereas femoral is about a week. You will be under some weight restrictions so as to give the wound time to heal, along with some other modifications (bending, limited exercise, etc.). Still, overall, it is a pretty minimal procedure since you will likely go home that day.

The procedure itself is not too ridiculously troublesome. You are under a twilight anesthesia; I have had angiograms where I don’t remember a thing compared to others where I believe I was awake the entire time - it just depends on what the anesthesiologist decides to use. Of course, with anesthesia you will not be allowed to drive, and they do recommend that you have someone with you overnight.

In terms of a second opinion, I always think it is the right thing to do if you are hesitant or have concerns or questions that are not really being addressed - then really what can it hurt (well, o.k. it could be confusing if there are differing opinions - haha)?? The most important thing (in my mind) is for you to have confidence in your doctors and the procedure so that you make the best decision for you. If a second or third opinion will help you to develop that trust and confidence, then it is time and energy well spent. If it helps, we do have a section on Recommended Doctors or Clinics; I haven’t perused whether there are any in Oregon, but you might want to take a look should you make that choice.

Please continue to ask us whatever questions you would like - or simply post your thoughts or concerns. We are here for you!

Fin Whale Fan :whale:

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Welcome and thank you for posting! I moved it to the General tab, no worries, it’s what I’m here for, partly anyhow.

I didn’t get a second opinion, I’m in the post learning group along with @FinWhaleFan . Several angiograms and there are risks to them starting with the anesthesia.

I would ask your cardiologist why he trusts the interventionalist. Has he had personal experience with him, family experience, patient experience, or do they play golf together? The good ol’ boy network used to be really bad here in the South, it’s not as bad as it was but I’m still careful. Just my experience coming through.

I also suggest you call the interventionalist’s office and find out what’s going on, never hurts to ask. For me personally, I don’t do well with surprises since I ruptured so I probably would/might look for another.

If you choose to go the second opinion path and can’t find one in your area under the Doctor recommendations, just start another topic, here under the General tab. Please keep us updated we are here for you!

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Hi - I’m sorry you have to go through this! In July 2023 a coincidental basilar tip aneurysm 3.8mm was found in my brain as well. If you search my name you can read the journey. Long story short I had the aneurysm repaired with a WEB implant in Feb 24 and all is well. I had my latest check up in August 2025 and was told everything remains excellent and no further check ups are needed for 5 years. I remember well when I first was told about the aneurysm and all the worry, anxiety, and research that followed. This site was a great resource.

I did get second opinions (anctually got a third one before I decided on the repair) and I did get an angiogram. The angiogram they kept calling the “gold standard” to identify if it is an aneurysm and the characteristics of it. While there is a risk to the procedure - as with anything - I was told the risk was minimal. Your doctor can tell you the exact risks so you can make the decision that is best for you.

I will never forget those early days - the stress was terrible - but - at least now you are aware of it and can start taking steps to resolving it so hopefully it never ruptures. :folded_hands:

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Hi Ben
Thx so much for your reply! I’m not sure how to search for your name? st it under Ben-baf? Or ccr-4? I’ll try both. I’m pretty good with this kind of stuff but this forum is very deep and a little convoluted at first :slight_smile:

I’m meeting with the interventionalist again on Nov .13th 'cause I still have questions before deciding to “watch and wait” or go ahead. I have discovered that a neurological interventionalist use "image -guided endovascular catheter techniques to diagnose and treat neurovascular disorders"I already saw him once and he showed me pictures and educated me and offered the angiogram, I think. The meeting is a little muddy 'cause I wasn’t clear on what to ask. My cardiologist set me up with him and downplayed the seriousness of a 5mm. I know a lot more now which seems to be good news and bad news:) This

I do have some questions for you:)
Who did you angiogram? Did you get a second opinion for the necessity of an angiogram?
what is that like…out patient, one two days in hospital?
Do they repair during angiogram if possible? What is recovery from angiogram like?
I live in Oregon and am close to OHSU- guess i will have to check with insurance.Lots of questions , there.

I will surely be asking these questions at my appt. This particular specialist gets very high grades and was very patient with his education, etc. but not great on the emotional scale. I called his office yesterday to see if I cold get on a cancellation list. Talking with his nurse was not real pleasant. I could practically see her rolling eyes! When I asked for any guidance on what to do/not do, or look for until my appt it was " well, just live your life, don’t worry, stay of the internet (I have a neuroscience background and told her so) ,if you a massive unbearable headache , call 911. That’s all we got for you" . This all made me a little leery. Am I overeacting?I will attempt to come up with a way to mention this to the Doc. Or maybe I shouldn’t?

Again, thank you for your reply. I’m not having much trouble with the stress, I’m a longtime meditator and am naturally a smooth sailor BUT… I do have my moments :slight_smile: I’m 78 1/2 and very active so…Much thanks

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Everything I have written is under ccr-4 - I’m not sure how to search for it though.

Once I was made aware of the aneurysm I went to a neuro surgeon. He gave me a lot of information about my options (watch and wait, clipping, or coil). He didn’t recommend clipping due to the risk of location. Then sent me to a local neuro interventional radiologist. The radiologist recommended the angiogram noting it was the gold standard. I did a ton of research on that and even went back to the neuro surgeon to get his opinion who also supported the angiogram so I decided to have it done. My appt was at 7am - I was mildly sedated but awake through the whole procedure. They went through the radial artery in the wrist. The whole procedure took less than an hour- I had to lie still for a couple hours and not move my arm then I was released and home before noon. I was tired the rest of the day likely because of all the medicine they put in me but otherwise I felt fine - went out to dinner that night and was back at work (a non physical job) the next day. They can also go through the femoral artery in the groin if they choose which will require you to lay flat 4 hours or so after. The results of the test confirmed the location shape and size and I was given the option to wait and watch or have the WEB implanted. I went back to the neuro surgeon to get his opinion again. Did a lot more research - then I decided to call the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and flew there to see a top neurosurgeon and ultimately chose to have him implant the WEB. If your able to find what I wrote it will give you a good summary.

Things to ask??? How many has the Dr done. Has he had any negative occurrences during and if so why. Does the Dr prefer wrist or groin and why. I don’t know your medical history so you might want to ask if any of your medical conditions if you have any might have any effect. Ultimately you’ll want a doctor that you completely trust then follow their guidance based on what they know about you. No two people are the same. I was very confident in the doctor I chose for the repair. I am female and in my 60s and have the complete and loving support of a husband and adult children so that all helped too. It was probably the hardest decision I ever made and it ended up being the best decision for me. After reading numerous stories of people with ruptures I was grateful mine was found and repaired before rupture.

I have read of those having multiple angiograms - I only ever had the one. After I had the repair done I had three follow up check ups all done by CTA under the guidance of my Mayo doctor.

I’m happy to answer any other questions

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To find someone specifically, go to the search feature :magnifying_glass_tilted_left: and type in @ then their user name in ccr-4 it would be @ccr-4.

After I ruptured, my Neurosurgeon asked me to stay off the internet for a year and I did. Back then the search usually ended up with FB personal posts and not much was positive so I stayed with the more reliable sites and the professional ones so I could read actual research, which of course included papers written on the authors personal perspective of reading and gathering information from research. There were two big studies that opposed each other back then and seems political lines got drawn if I remember correctly. When you do your research, make sure whatever your reading cites their sources and those sources have actual numbers gathered from actual subjects. Some information is not based on actual data and is not statistically accurate.

Don’t forget you can always reach out to me @Moltroub or the friendly folks @ModSupport if you’re having trouble navigating. I’m usually on in the mornings and am in NC so EDT right now unless we’ve changed the clocks back and I don’t remember (possibility) the folks who comprise ModSupport are in various countries. Just be patient and someone will see your message.

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Thank you Moltroub!

I’m finished with research till I see the interventionist for the 2nd visit

Researched insurance, etc. so I know who is in network or not and what it would cost out of network if end up choosing surgery.

At the moment, at 78, ( without knowing the risks of angiogram and surgery) I choose to watch and wait.

My one concern is driving…. I won’t drive with the young grandkids in the car ( 1 and 3). Luckily my husband loves to drive and except for camping trips we don’t drive much.

I’m also thinking through telling our son (47) . I don’t want to add stress and worry to his life. 2 babies in diapers and a new job. If I end up choosing surgery, I will tell him. I would welcome any insight from anyone about telling others.
So grateful this site exists.
Thank you all!
Annie

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I ruptured and was directed by my neurosurgeon to tell my family, parents, siblings and their children. She wanted everyone checked out to see if they had an aneurysm. I’m also a strong believer in “Secrets are only good on birthdays, Christmas or Chanukah” because of my career choice. Better to know you have one than rupture and find out that way I believe.

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