I understand the fear - I think we all have it irregardless of whether we have already been down that road. I had a stent and coil on a basilar tip unruptured annie 4 years ago.
I was in the hospital for 3 days 2 in NICU. I did have migraines afterward and the doctors were having trouble controlling them - I kept asking for Fioricet, which was suggested by someone on this forum, but for some reason they didn't think it would help. I was finally given it with Oxy and that controlled the headaches until they went completely away, by the 4th week. I think everyone reacts differently - fatigue was also a problem for me afterward.
With coiling, you will need follow up testing - I have MRAs annually before my annual neurosurgeon appt. and have been told that I will have these annually the rest of my life (this is because of the location - basilar tip). Basilar tip annies can cause other annies in the tip (this has been told to me by two neurosurgeons). There has not been any change on mine - every thing is looking good!
Mamika2....it is so delightful to read this from you...have thought of you many times...Hugs, patio
Mamika2 said:
Hello. I understand the fear. I ruptured in Jan. 2013. woke up to find out a had a neuroform stent and coils done endovascularly.. stayed in ICU for 10 days- ready to go home. no deficits. didnt really understand my situation at that time. then about a week AFTER my 2 week follow up appointment with my neurosurgeon ( I couldnt wait, I wanted to know more- really didnt know much even after release) I ruptured AGAIN. At my 2 week f/u my surgeon said he was pleased w/ the outcome- to live life be happy... I had a Large ( approx 2 cm. (not mm) ) vertebrobasilar wide neck aneurysm
It re bled early feb. 2013. went to ER- spent another 10 days in ICU. I got more coils- still no deficits!!
they filled as much of anni as they could with more coils- and would see me in 6 months for a f/u. at that 6 month f/u I was told I was still at risk of regrowth/ rupture. and was reccomended the pipeline stent... I was referred to another hospital UCLA, Dr. Gary Duckwiler. I went ahead and got second/ third opinion (out of pocket for the third since that wasnt covered by my HMO insurance) and finally decided to stick with Dr. Duckwiler. He also reccomended the pipeline stent. I WAS scared. I felt this was going to be what kills me. or really changes me for the worst if I survive. UCLA tried the pipeline. didnt work. My artery started spasming during the attempt to deploy it through the stent I already had!! they stopped. I was then referred to Dr. Martin, head of UCLA's neurosurgery department for a bypass surgery.... ack!! well, that didnt do well either actually. They had trouble with getting my lumbar drain in and that was after my head was shaved/donor artery prepped for bypass) still took all day, but stopped. They didnt want to go fwd. I also ended up getting a nast staph infection from that incision they made in my back for the lumbar drain was sent home with in home nurse care and a wound vac for about 3 months? after that was finally healed they were ready to try the pipeline stent again...when they first tried the pipeline stent and didnt work- I thought it was a sign it wasnt meant to be- especially how much I feared it, so having to try it again was even scarier. BUT it worked!!! no issues at all this time around. I just had my 6 month f/u MRI from that procedure and all looks good. No more blood getting into the aneurysm and blood flow through the stents look good- OH! I almost forgot- they ended up closing off one of my vertebral arteries with coils ( I think left) Still NO deficits. feeling SOOO much better, FInally!! I think the worst is the fear you put yourself through. The fear of the unknown. We want to be aware and prepared which is good but dont let fear take over. Easier said then done!!! I have two young ones at home and I DID NOT want to leave them!! Sorry this is so quick and abrupt and Im not so eloquent but If you need to talk
I understand the fear - I think we all have it irregardless of whether we have already been down that road. I had a stent and coil on a basilar tip unruptured annie 4 years ago.
I was in the hospital for 3 days 2 in NICU. I did have migraines afterward and the doctors were having trouble controlling them - I kept asking for Fioricet, which was suggested by someone on this forum, but for some reason they didn't think it would help. I was finally given it with Oxy and that controlled the headaches until they went completely away, by the 4th week. I think everyone reacts differently - fatigue was also a problem for me afterward.
With coiling, you will need follow up testing - I have MRAs annually before my annual neurosurgeon appt. and have been told that I will have these annually the rest of my life (this is because of the location - basilar tip). Basilar tip annies can cause other annies in the tip (this has been told to me by two neurosurgeons). There has not been any change on mine - every thing is looking good!
Hi:). I had 3 coils and a Y stent placed in my basilar artery 2 years ago… They did it through my femoral artery in a cerebral angiogram. This site is difficult to communicate through… If you have any questions please email me ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■.
Hi, I had coiling of 13 mm basilar tip aneurysm back in November 2014 and was in the hospital for one night and like you, I was so nervous. I had an angiogram last September to make sure that everything was ok. Doing great now and enjoying retirement at age 54.
Had stent and coiling on ruptured basilar tip back in April 2012. Easy breezy as these things go. Femoral will be sore awhile; no power walking for ten days! Had some dizziness if I raised my head up too fast but that went away with time. If you trust your doctor and your team, you'll be fine. As someone else wrote, you'll be out fast and wake up in recovery, all fixed up. Try to relax :) Easier said than done! Best wishes to you!
My Dad had coiling and stent on the middle cerebral artery and it was a wide neck aneurysm and near a 'bend' in the artery so a difficult place to stent..... and the operation went smoothly. I was SUPER scared before his operation - nothing could relax me. If only I had known how nicely it would go!
This procedure is becoming so much more common, as other members have said. I had one man say to me that he would rather get an aneurysm coiled/stented than go to the dentist! Hopefully that's some reassurance to you.