Just wondering if there is anyone out there with a fusiform aneurysm. They are pretty rare. Mine ruptured 11-15-13. This site is really helpful and supportive but I can't find much info on fusiforms. Thanks
I have a fusiform anuerysm in my neck in the right internal carotid artery. It is 13 mm. The surgeon did not want to do a stent unless it reached 14 mm. I am in limbo. The diagnosis was in April 2012. I can't find much info either. Just wondering... were there any symptoms before the rupture? When I'm under stress I can feel pressure in either carotid.
There are others here that have Fusiforms aneurysm's...see if you can find information at the BAF website...which also has video's and webinars...click
Colleen
Hi Debbie, My wife Dawn had a rare Giant Fusiform Aneurysm (31 mm). She required an EC-IC bypass and had that done April 10, 2013. It was operated on in Boston and then she spent a little time at Spaulding rehab for speech, occupational, and physical therapy. She is doing fine and she is back to work. Her's did not rupture however "Luckly" it had a slight bleed, she had migraines for form than 20 years. She was working out in the gym and felt something in her neck (a pull and some discomfort). She then got sick and then saw double but all that went away immediately. The neck was sore for a couple of weeks and that is when she saw her neurologist. He ordered an MRI and that is when they found the aneurysm. She was operated on 6 weeks later. Her's was very complicated and so surgery took some time to repair. The doctor also took his time to research, get better images, and plot out his course. The surgery was very successful and the recovery remarkable and we think it is because it was well planned.
I was diagnosed last july with an 8mm fusiform annie i had a stent assisted coiling done last August mine is in my left anterior coratid ophthalmic artery
Hello. My 3cm fusiform aneurysm of the cavernous portion of the right carotid artery was found when I got double vision due to pressure on the nerves controlling eye movement and cognitive and memory difficulties. Because it was so big, causing effects on surrounding brain and affecting arterial and venous blood flow around the brain it was coiled and the carotid artery was blocked off. I have a number of cognitive difficulties post procedure probably the result of reduced blood flow to the brain. I have a medical background so searched the medical literature for information, but like you have found very little. Fusiform aneurysms are rare and giant ones even rarer. Most of the research has been done on the much commoner berry aneurysms, which probably have a different mechanism of formation and are much more likely to rupture.
Judith, You are right, they are more likely to rupture. Also, the bigger, the more difficult. My wife has some very slight difficulties post procedure. Surgery was on left side M2 branch so her right side will be colder than the left. She has some slight sensation on her right side but again, very minimal. Her speech is fine and only when she is very tired she may have some difficulty in finding a word here and there. Most would people would never notice. Her right foot gets very cold in the winter. Her doctors say that its because her brain does not tell it to warm up. A form a Reynaud's syndrome. She takes a pill for that only in the winter. It tends not to be bad in the summer.
I have a fusiform that was operated on before rupturing in 2007. You are in good company!
I had a berry aneurysm, had it clipped in 1991. Then in 2012 I started having similar symptoms I had in 1991. CT scan showed 2 new annies-berry very, very close to the original, & a fusiform in the left communicating artery. I now have 10 clips in my head, and there was no way to fully clip the berry aneurysm, so I still have a small annie in the left carotid artery. I was in surgery for 12 hours, & the fusiform was totally clipped. I was not a candidate for any other type of treatment. Donāt know if this helps at all, but please feel free to ask any questions you may have. Iām very grateful to be alive and doing well.
Hi Debbie, Yes I have a fusiform annie on a carotid that they watch. I had a rupture and coiling of 3 berry annies near the thalamus in Jan. '04. Honestly, they didn't even tell me about the "bump" as they refer to it until 2 years ago when I went to a new neurologist for medical clearance for an unrelated surgery. I guess ignorance is bliss, because now I worry about that one blowing. They can't treat it, because they say it is too dangerous. So I try to keep my blood pressure down and stay stress free. I am learning more about fusiforms, but like you, can't find much.
I was diagnosed with a 4.7mm fusiform Annie on the right anterior cerebral arteryā¦distal to anterior communicating arteryā¦in September, 2013. I had a cerebral angio done 2 weeks later and another MRA 6 months laterā¦with no change. I do have several different symptoms, which led me to see the neuro surgeon. Although, he states none of these symptoms are caused by the Annieā¦will have another MRA in March. My neuro is ākeeping an eyeā on itā¦knowing I have this is scary. I feel like I am living with a time bomb! Donāt know much about the fusiform except only 1% of these types rupture. Not much info on it.
Hi Debbie......here is a link to a web site I found http://www.mayfieldclinic.com/PE-AneurRupt.htm it just said that a fusiform aneurysm is one that bulges in all directions, not sure if there is more on the site but worth the read. Best Wishes and God Bless, Irene
Hi Debbie!
I had a fusiform aneurysm in the basilar artery. It was about 2 cm by 2 cm, and I had surgery April 3rd of 2013. From what I was told by my doctors, usually there are no symptoms. But I had extensive headaches and slight problems with my speech. Thankfully it did not rupture, especially considering I was training for lacrosse. I know that they are more likely to rupture, especially the bigger they become. Depending on the age of the person, depends on which procedure is best. They told me that if I had done the coiling procedure with stents that I most likely wouldn't have made it out of surgery, and if I did, there was no guarantee I would like until 25. I had a pipeline embolization done and was in ICU for 3 days. The doctors at Emory Hospital in Georgia did an amazing job. I was able to graduate highschool a little over a month after surgery and moved to Hawaii for college last August. If you would like the information to my doctor at Emory, I would be more than happy to share! He definitely was able to answer any questions that I or my family had.
I had an unruptured 4 mm fusiform aneurysm on my middle cerebral artery which was clipped on July 2. I had no symptoms; the aneurysm was found incidentally. The surgery went well and I feel fine. Well, maybe I don't feel completely back to normal - sometimes I feel mild pain in the area where the incision was made and where the craniotomy was done. It's been almost ten weeks since the surgery, so I assume there's still healing going on, so maybe that's what causes the pain.
I had 2 of thoseā¦ Not the bulbous type but the giant ones that just bulge out all aroundā¦fusiform. They are in the right carotid artery up in the ācircle of willisā. The larger one had a stent put in/through itā¦and 2 months later they filled the annie through the side of the stent with coils. The procedures are done like an angiogramā¦by going up through your arteries through the femoral artery in your leg (crotch). I have another annie right near itā¦in fact they had hoped to cover both with the stent but it didnāt work. That one they keep a check onā¦it is about 3mm. My procedures were done 10 years ago and no change. I have MRI/MRA every 2 years or so to give them a check. Iām sorry to hear your burst. So I assume you canāt quite relate? Tho itās believed I had a burst v a few years before they found themā¦I had a headache like no otherā¦took ibuprophen(3) and Tylenol (2) alternatelyā¦almost constantly for 3 weeksā¦pain was that bad. No tests done thenā¦if only I knew what I know now Iād have insistedā¦ You have to advocate for yourself. Ask away if you have questions I might be able to help you with.
Hi Debbie,
I am a medical professional involve in the treatment of brain aneurysm and as you mentioned you have a Fusiform aneurysm which was ruptured in 2013 .can you give more details about location,size and treatment ?it will help to understand better that what information you exactly looking for ?
Thanks
Balveer
Balveer,
Sorry for the slow reply. Had a headache that knocked me off my feet much of this week. I had a ruptured 7mm fusifirm on my left carotid. This happened while I was still on a theraputic dose of coumadin for bilateral PEs following a surgery earlier in the year. The amazing neuroinverventional radiologist stented and coiled it. His work was complicated by the fact that mine was low on the carotid and I am missing the left P-comm and absence of the right A1 segment. Both ACA territories and the left MCA territory are supplied exclusively from the left ICA. didn't leave him much to work with. Following my one week angio to check on stent and coils I developed a psuedo aneurysm in my left groin.Because of my clot history they put in an IVC filter which was removed about two months after placement. I experienced vasospasms, required a blood transfusion, started throwing sodium,etc. I could write a book but no one would believe me! I also had cerebral dopplers for the first couple of weeks every other day to keep an eye on things as well as CATs, MRIs, MRAs, xrays, ultrasounds, you name it.
And yet I'm pretty with it. I walk mostly unassisted but do prefer to use a cane in public. Headaches are not 24-7 any more. My speech is slurred and my short term memory is not great. Right side weakness continues but i still do lots of exercising even tho my PT insurance benefits ran out 6 weeks ago.
Please feel free to ask any questions. I'll answer the best I can. I am blessed to be here. Even Dr. Kott said he did all he could but something more has helped my healing to be so amazing.
Never smoked, great blood pressure, no family history, no plaque build up, age 53. Just hit me like a ton of bricks.
Hope to hear from you soon. Where do you work and live? I am in Washington state.
Debbie
Hi Debbie, I have a fusiform aneurysm of the left vertebral artery and it also involves the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). It ruptured in May of 2001. I later was referred to UCSF Medical center for an attempted fix. They performed a PICA to PICA bypass and then later were planning to occlude the damaged artery. However, the blood flow began circulation in an odd manner and the occlusion was never done. I still have the aneurysm plus the bypass. I am never monitored. I never go for check ups as the neurosurgeon who referred me doesn't want to see me unless I am having "symptoms". Well, very long story short-I retrained and changed jobs(Spanish teacher now), I travel during the summer, I run 5K races regularly and I eat a whole-foods, plant based diet. I am actually in better shape than before the rupture. When I was told that I couldn't be "fixed" the doctor recommended that I go live my life, "live" being the operative word. And that's exactly what I have been doing, joyfully and fully.
No symptoms prior to my rupture. And no family history or any bad habits that would have caused it. Just struck me out of the blue one morning. You could get a second opinion. Trust me, you do not want that thing to rupture. Good luck.
It's finding a RUPTURED fusiform survivor that is difficult. Very few of us. Found one in Florida and one in Liverpoole.