I am interested in knowing if most of the people on this site have been given the option to have clipping as opposed to coiling?
I wasnt given a choice but I suspect that's because the coiling can be done by a neuroradiology interventionist and clipping would need to be done by a neurosurgeon. At the hospital I was in, the neurosurgeon (who put my evd drain in) was involved in so many other conditions that it probably wouldnt have been practical for him to do clippings of aneurysms as well. i was also told that coiling is less invasive to the brain than having to peel the brain back to get to an aneurism which can cause trauma.
My surgeon gave no choice becuase of the shape of the aneurysms. They had to be clipped. I think most of us would prefer coiling or PED though. Although, clipping is considered a permament fix. its rare to have to go in and re-clip one
Hi Mildred...I was only given the option of coiling, however, my Neurosurgeon was one of the few that had clipped aneurysm's on the basilar artery...so if need be during surgery, they would have taken that route...however, it is an area they donot usually want to clip and/or can clip...
Like Roy, my only option was clipping because of the shape of my aneurysm. I suppose it depends on the size, shape, location, condition, etc..
Hi Mildred...
On my first annie surgery, a clipping was the only game in town...that was 1998
o my rupture in 2006, I was coiled but had no choice in the matter as I was in another world at that time...
in 2010 I did have a choice however, as my coils had compacted...and usually the next step would be adding more coils..then I found out that roughly 1 in 4 coiled aneurysms will compact over time, meaning that the coils/aneurysm will need re-addressing at some point in the future...the thing is, once an aneurysm is coiled, sometimes that coiled annie cannot be clipped afterward, and adding more coils are the only answer...
So I begged my neurosurgeon to please figure out a way to do a clipping--he took acoupla days go over the details of my scans, (at first he was hesitant)..but when he figured out that he probably could do a clipping on me successfully, he came to my hospital room in the middle of the night and woke me up`~he was pretty excited about this--and ushered me into his office right then and there, where he had an image of my annie up on the computer screen, in 3-D, where he pointed out the pro's and con's of doing a clipping .
When he did the clipping surgery on me, all went well, and I asked him if he was able to actually remove the coils --he said he was able to get some of them, but not all of 'em, and that my coiled annie looked like a trainwreck...(i often times think to myself.."where the hell did the other coils go...?)lol
So if ever I have to make this decision again, i'll go with a clipping, hands down. When my coils let me know they needed some attention, they let me know in a big way--sudden, extraordinary pain and some bleeding--and I never want to have to wait for that to happen to me again....Give me the tried and true permanent fix any day ! Peace to you as you get thru this, I know it isn't easy any way you look at this,
Janet
mine ruptured so I was clipped but I think clipping is better no need to keep checking.
I’m clipped and coiled!
Coiling and stent were my only option. My annie was in basilar tip and my neurosurgeon said that it was too dangerous to clip that location.
Wow - my neurosurgeon did my coiling and stent (I said wow that a neuroradiology interventionist can do them). My neurosurgeon left the state last October and his practice is looking for another neurosurgeon that can do coiling - the other neurosurgeons can clip, I think, but not coil. My doctor told me last year before he left that his office would monitor me annually, but if there was an emergency and I needed more surgery, they would have to transfer me to Boston to Tufts.
I was. Or I should say my husband was. He decided on the clipping but once they got inside my head they told him they were not able to do it. So they coiled me. I think clipping is more permanent. Coiling my need to be done again.
Hello Everyone and thank you so much for your input. I guess my memory was not working very well because I thought I started a blog and discussion at this site via FB and I kept looking for it and could not find it. Guess things are getting better as I realized the bookmark on my browser LOl. I Today I am doing much better and had a follow up with my neurosurgeon on 07/25/14. Despite that I am a Registered Nurse since 1981 I have never delt with any patient and or family member who had a ruptured aneurysm and from my posts I can now say I knew nothing LOL. I am a little bit more educated now and maybe I can clear up the post It is my understanding that clipping the Annie is a permanent fix as opposed to the coiling which will need closer monitoring for possible coiling impaction which can then result in a rebleed of the same Annie. However, my neurosurgeon explained that once the Annie is coiled it can not be clipped because there is no space to apply the clip. The only way a previously coiled Annie can be clipped is if the coil becomes impacted. I also found out that I had a right ACA ( Anterior choroidal artery) Annie that was almost like heart shaped. This is the one that is coiled and will need to be monitored with an MRA every 6 months. for a few years. I also have a Left ACA ( Anterior choroidal artery) Annie that is now 4-5mm. After discussing the options with my neurosurgeon I have decided that I want it clipped and this surgery is scheduled for August 28th at UNC (North Carolina). I have been fine with this decision, but today was the first day I woke up and felt extremely anxious about having the surgery...I guess the day is getting closer so needless to say it is expected.....almost like getting married. Despite todays feelings I know this is the right choice for me and I have great faith that he will lead me to the where I need to be and I have accepted this. Hope to be back on soon with a great update! Thanks again for all the input!
Hi Mildred ... just answered you on your blog update...again...you are so in my thoughts and prayers for your upcoming surgery ~ Colleen
Thank you for the prayers!
I had the option of both, but went with clipping due to my age and the reassurance of the lower chances of reoccurrence. After the clipping, there were some days I wish I did do the coiling due to the less evasiveness sand quicker recovery, but after a couple of month, believe the clipping was the best decision. I'm 8 month post clipping and have 98% of my health, I'm not perfectly back to where I was, but am trying to get there....just dealing with hair loss right now.
Jam
Why the hair loss?
My ruptured one they tried coiling but couldnt because of location. Life flighted me to University of Utah Medical Center to a nueurosurgeon that had performed surgery in that area with success.
Another annie was found (unruptured) so three months later I went back to the same doc for clipping. I dont know why he clipped that one instead of coiling. He might have discussed it with me and my husband but I was kind of out of it those months…
Mildred, i just read this post of yours saying you are sceduled for surgery on the 28th. I am praying for you. I had two aneurysms and two surgeries too. I too was anxious and got pretty upset the closer to the surgery date I got. I knew It was a miracle I survived the ruptured annie so this second surgery should be a walk in the park but I had myself all worked up over it. I was going back to the same surgeon, hospital, nurses so felt like I was going back home for the second surgery but I still was so nervous and upset. Things did go well. Of course.
I think because we are so much more aware of aneurysms with the second one and everything is all planned it makes it easier to worry over the what ifs.
I will pray you find peace today about the upcoming surgery. And all goes well for you during and after this second surgery.
Barb
Hi Mildred. Although I had a ruptured aneurysm, my neurosurgeon discussed both procedures with me and my husband. They told us a little bit about both procedures and were given the opportunity to choose. We opted for coiling because it is less invasive and clipping at that time sounded scary to me. After the surgery though, however, I learned that with clipping, there is a low (almost impossible) chance of a regrowth. I do not regret having it coiled though. Good luck to you, will be praying for your surgery.
There’s a new method out there for wide neck aneurysms that doesn’t involve clipping, it’s called the WEB http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23292529/ The neuroradiologist at the hospital where I’m being treated in Belgium is among the first ones to have used it since 2011 and he says that the results are very encouraging. The hope is to develop the same method for smaller necks since it would allow for much shorter interventions (coiling can take up to 5hrs, the WEB takes 30 min on average), spending less time in the arteries also means reducing the risk of thrombosis… Anyone here had the experience?