I see now you had them coiled. It will take six months or so before they are fixed. Well 80% of the time any way . Studies show smoking does cause growth and I am sure that is what the surgeon is concerned with for complete occlusion.
Hi Taxmeless,
A good 2nd opinion program is available through Barrow Neurological Institute at St Josephâs Hospital in Phoenix for $100. It is very easy to upload your records if you have a copy on CD and they will reply to you with a formal letter in about a week.
They have a whole team look at your records which I think is preferable. Iâll be having clipping surgery with them next month. I chose them over Johnâs Hopkins because their top doctor trained at Johnâs Hopkins and also UCLA and because I lived there for 10 years, so the city is a little more familiar.
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Hi Taxmeless-
I was diagnosed with an aneurysm at my basilar tip in May after having an ATV accident. Originally, it was thought to be 3mm. I had an angiogram done at Duke Hospital and they conformed that it was 6mm with two smaller ones growing on top of the large one. I had to get two stents and coils. I had a stiff neck just right before and after surgery. Originally thought I was sleeping wrong. I have been a smoker for 30 years and have quit since I found out about the annie. After my surgery, I felt like I had to really think of some of my words but thatâs better now; it only happens occasionally. My stiff neck is gone and I very seldom crave cigarettes. When I do have a craving I always revert back to thinking if I smoke, there is a possibility that I could develop another aneurysm and I donât want to risk that. I am 47 years old and feel like I am back to normal now after my surgery which was July 25. Good luck to you!
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I quit smoking 6 years before my annie ruptured. I have no idea what caused my annie and i guess i never will. I do know my doctor told my family that i do not have to worry about having another one because the one i had he claims took about 20 years to get to the size it did therefore with my age 57 the time i get another one knock on wood i will be gone. Its been 6 months since my rupture and i really dont think it has sank in that i almost died. If my daughter in law was not home that day who knows what would have happen to me because she was the one who found me in my garage unconious. I thank god everyday i was givin a second chance at life.
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I am very happy you were given a second chance as well. I feel the same way as you - thankful for a second chance.
Congrats on luck and family. I am.just going to watch mine based on size 3.5mm and location ica other. Both low odds I had an angiogram thst showed it being stable⌠ie walls good etc. . If It grows to 5mm plus I will deal with it. I based my decision on the phase study. . All the surgeons wanted to do a procedure. Just not comfortable with a 6 to 8% mobility or fatality odds 1st year. The phase study places my odds under 3% over 30 years of rupture with 80% of those ruptures showing growth overtime before it did. So I prefer a scientific approach. I feel surgeons want to fix all aneurysms . Itâs their nature.
Dear Taxmeless,
I totally understand your analytical and logical brain that searches up all the facts and stats. We definitely need it to support our decision making!
My brother with IQ over the roof has provided me all earthly research about unruptured annie care stats. And, he really felt I should âwaitâ and âseeâ on a 1% rupture rate.
I donât know why, I told him that âMy body isnât going to do well with medicines and I know pipeline and or stent/coiling will also fail on me, and therefore, clipping seems to be the only thing I have to seriously consider for my 6x7mm, left ICA annie. And, I know it isnât really high on the rupture scale. Somehow, waiting yearly screening for size changes will eventually kill me with anxiety attacks.â
And, I couldnât tell you how I felt in words when my doctor told my sister that my annie was a âcherry color, thin membraneâ annie. Itâs on the verge to rupture. Anytime!
I will pray for you for the strength to make the best decision for your annie. Pray for the energy, wisdom, and decision. Only you can make things happen, or not happen!!
Good luck!!!
You made the right decision. 6-7mm is enough size to take action to kill it. Mine is only 3.5mm or about half that size (In volume terms itâs about 15% that size). If it grows to 5mm I will stent or flow divert it. Having the odds of somewhere around .015% a year doesnt significantly add to my already 1% annual death rate. And as I age the 1% become 2% etc etc of mortality in general⌠So not something I am fretting over. I will scan it 1x a year for 5 years. If it donât grow I wonât even think about it.
I just had my small basilar tip aneurysm coiled and stented by Dr. Kenneth Liu from Penn State at Hershey P.A. Two other consulted neurosurgeons didnât think it was necessary. I watched it for a year and the anxiety knowing I had it consumed everything I did even though I pushed it to the back of my mind. I exercised less and smoked and ate more. Four weeks post op and have barely given cigaretteâs a thought. Back on my elliptical and walking every day. Dr. Liu sees small aneurysms rupture in clinic often and recommended that I fix it. You can find him on Facebook. He answered every question I had via email before I went to see him out of state. Check him out. He answers every email still if I have a question.
Tableless,
I hope you are well and that you would just get it checked. I have a 12 mm Annie and I didnât even know it was there. It ruptured on 7-7-17 and had a SAH follow of a Hunt n Hess scale of 4 . I died over 5 Times and seizures. Had coiling procedure done. Yes I know you might want to research everything but it sounding like you need to see someone real soon. Those were all the signs I had before it ruptured. I was in NICU for a month after and they said I wouldnât be able to walk,talk or remember anyone ever again but the Grace of God was surrounding me and I went above and beyond what they were expecting. And now Iâm a 2 months pregnant with another journey ahead. And if you could put the fear of God into yourself about smoking like I did it will help. The surgeon told me if I continue to smoke and drink caffeine I would rebleed. No thank I wonât want to go through that again if I can help it. Hope this helps and please keep me posted.
Amjc
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Hi Michele1,
That is how I feel. I donât have peace always thinking about my aneresym. I was diagnosed last year when they embolized a fistula on my left side. It is only 1mm but I canât stop thinking about it. My mom passed away at age 91, but at age 90 they found she had a Giant aneresym which actually burst and killed her last year. Adding to my stress since hers grew so big without any detection.
Basilar tip is a dangerous place. Good choice.
When you say those were the signs before it ruptured. What do you mean exactly? Also 12MM is huge mine is 4MM or less.