After a head injury about 10 years ago, an anterior communicating artery aneurysm was discovered - about 4-5mm. The medical team felt it was less of a risk to watch it than do surgery… until now. My recent scan shows no change but the team believes it is time to clip and that coiling would not be beneficial. So, I found this sight during my search to learn what to expect with surgery. Would love to know all the details if anyone wants to share.
Hello Carol and welcome to the family!
Wow, had it for ten years and NOW they want to clip? did you happen to ask why they want to clip you now as opposed to 10 years ago since they're has been no change? Well at any rate, honestly I'd think I'd want it taken care of anyway, I would be a wreck knowing it was still there--that much I do know. As for the surgery, I had a clipping for a rather large aneurysm which was behind my left eye (posterier communicating artery) and by the time I knew it was there I was having some symptoms (headache from hell, pressure behind the eye, that sort of thing) as the annie grew it literally snapped my 3rd optic nerve in two, so the double vision I had from this happening is what got me to go to the eye doctor who sent me right to the hospital..10 hours later I had the clipping surgery. At the time, (1998) the Coil and PED/Stents were not yet being used in the US, so there was no choice but to clip. During my surgery the doctor had to access the site by cutting thru my temporal muscle, and that in itself was the biggest pain in my recovery as opening the mouth to eat was uncomfortable, but that didn't last forever ofcourse and did indeed heal up. I had staples instead of stitches, the staples were removed within 10 days time..not much hair was shaved (about 2 inches back from the hairline on the left side) I entered the hospital on the night of the 17, was out of the hospital on the 22nd...I was a bit bruised in the face, looked like I had a good shiner on the left eye...I did have intense double vision still but that healed itself up in about 4 months time--that part was the most unusual thing with my recovery, but amazingly the nerves patched themselves back together again and I was able to see clearly with no double vision ..No complications...My scalp on top and towards the left side, plus my forehead near my left brow was numb for quite a long time really...Infact just this past year or so I can say there is no numbness to speak of.
Okay so that was Clipping #1..Clipping #2 came about due to my having had another aneurysm in 2006, which had been coiled ..and the coils compacted by 2010...instead of adding more coils I was able to get a clipping which was much more the permanent fix and to me that made a lot more sense. My 2nd clipping was done under urgent circumstances, but not quite the emergency situation i'd been in in 1998, no vision issues this time which made for a much easier recovery. I had stitches this time, that also made things easier...I I entered the hospital on the 3rd and I was home by the 7th...this time recovery was so much better--I walked the 1.7 mile reservoir near our house on the 2nd day home and I was driving within a week and ahalf. The surgeon didn't need to cut thru my jaw muscle either--what a difference in terms of comfort. I was placed on the standard 3 month disability leave, but could've returned to work sooner ...plus this time my Surgeon shaved only about 1.5 inches back from the hairline--plus, no numbness afterward at all. Bruised, yes.
On both recoveries all I took was over the counter pain meds (Opiates make me sick to my stomach anyway) , but I didn't need anything stronger then Advil--and the pain was related to the aches and pains related to any major surgery and the incision site, and thats all. I had no after- headaches on any of my procedures.
Hope this gives you some insight...none of this easy, but its very do-able..I wish you nothing but the best with the least amount of BS in your upcoming surgery, (on the last clipping I got some anti anxiety meds which made the before-surgery part a bit easier to deal with honestly) ! I'm sure you'll get lots of answers from others here as so many of us have been 'down the road'.
Peace, Janet
So glad you shared your story Carol...I was coiled ... so not much help on the clipping...wishing you a good day ~ Colleen
Janet, I'm wondering why they want to clip it now too! I meet with the surgeon Tuesday to find out more. There is some peace in knowing the aneurysm hasn't changed in 10 years... seems like it may have been there for as many as 25 years and I just never knew until 2003. I initially thought it may have been caused by the head trauma but the doctors now tell me they believe it probably developed in my 20's. Don't know how they know that.
Your story sounds frightening! But it's wonderful to see you are cognitively doing great! Where was your 2nd aneurysm located? I've been surprised at how many people have had multiple aneurysms. The other surprise is how many coilings require clipping years later.
Thanks for sharing your information. I truly appreciate you taking the time to share your story with me!
Carol M
Hi Carol!
My 2nd annie was on the Right Posterior Communicating artery...Infact this was seen as a "prominent Infundibulum" back in the 1998 radiology report--but honestly I didn't truly READ thru the 1998 doctors report until sometime after I joined the BAf last year, and so in reading the report I was startled to see that, yes, they saw something that had the potential of turning into an aneurysm way back--trouble is, I had no clue what the hell an 'Infundibelum' even was (which is something that can turn into an annie, Gee, isn't that nice to know well AFTER the fact!) and I was never warned about this potential nightmare 'thing' in my head that might cause me great harm in my future--unbelievable that I read thru the report 14 years later only to discover that, hey, the Radioligist saw something that I should've/could've been forwarned about (???) Hindsight is indeed 20/20 !
One area I find strange is on both my pre-surgery annies, the symptoms of each were completely different from the other, and considering they were basicly just opposite of each other you'd think they would've presented with similar symptoms, but they did not. The 2nd annie became known to me only due to the fact that whenever I looked upwards from a standing position, my eyesight wouldn't self-correct itself for about a minute or so afterward. No pounding, killer headache at all...the only pain I felt was one day prior to landing in the hospital in 2006 was one, brief but horridly intense bout of pain centered in my skull--just for 30 seconds or so...the next day I went to work and yet again, another episode of intense pain hit me while I was up on a ladder--so I casually remarked something to my boss about how she needed to find a replacement for me for the day...walked to the breakroom, got up to get a glass of water to swallow some aspiran--and thats the last thing i remember. 6 weeks later I came out of a coma.
Sorry about the ramble! Lol, I too wonder how the doctors can know when or how you developed your annie...Like you said, its good news that there has had no growth, as thats when the doctors usually get excited. Write lots of questions down for your Surgeon for your Tuesday appt. (When they're chatting about YOUR brain its very easy to forget what you wanted to ask!) and maybe bring along someone with you, as two heads are better at retaining whats said then one.
Peace, Janet
Please don't feel like you're rambling... I am craving information at this point from those who have gone through the process! Thank you for being so helpful!!! You have me wondering about some of the vision problems I've been experiencing now too. Sometimes the focus takes awhile to process.
Carol,
most definately point this out to your Neurosurgeon on Tuesday...Any sort of change in vision, balance, teeth issues or infections, ANYthing different. The vision thing started up after a long horrendous weekend of having a tooth infection for me, the Neurosurgeons seemed to dismiss the infection yet I quite simply do think the infection set things 'a'rollin' out of control , at least in my situation.
Hi Carol
I had my clipping May 6, 2013. On the day of the surgery I had to be at the hospital (I think) at 6 am. I got checked in and they took my husband and I to the pre-op area. They had me change into a gown and non-slip socks. Talked to anesthesiology and discussed what they were going to do. Saw the doctor that works with my surgeon. Discussed what was going to happen. Surgeon came in. Again discussed surgery. He prayed with me. Nurse put IV in my hand. Hugged and kissed husband. They gave me some "not going to remember a thing" drugs. Wheeled me to pre-op. This is when they got me ready for the surgery. Doc said it takes about 1 1/2 hours. Shave the head for incision etc.
My husband did not talk to anyone until a little after 3. Some doc came out and told hubby everything was good and they were going to close me up. Surgeon came out around 3:30 and told him the same thing. I had requested to do the angiogram while I was out, so they took me to do that. Was in recovery for a bit and then taken to ICU. I remember waking up and asking a question. At that point I knew I was alive. :)
Pain in my head was pretty significant. It was easier to keep my eyes closed. My entry was through my forehead so I could not feel above my eyes. I looked like I had some bruising around my eyes. I was very nauseous and could not tolerate ANY IV pain meds. I threw up quite a bit for the first 2 days. It took them a while to find an oral pain med I could tolerate. Pain started to subside. I could not eat for 3 days. I was able to tolerate small sips of water and juice. I was finally able to eat applesauce and some jello. I ate some regular food around day 5.
Sleeping sucked. Could not get comfortable. Getting up to use the commode was a workout. Not sure how long until they had me up and walking around my room. After 2 days I was ready to discharge to a regular room, but non was available. I stayed in ICU for 4 days. After that I was in a regular room for 2 days. In order to be discharged I had to pass the Occupations Therapy (OT) test. They took me to a little kitchen and I had to fry an egg and make a cup of coffee or tea. I did great.
I was discharged on day 6. I was very happy to go home. I slept a lot. Did not have much of an appetite for a few weeks. My family would help me get to the bathroom or down/up the stairs. Showering was also a workout. It was weird washing my hair when I could not feel my head. I was exhausted once I got out of the shower.
I was very fortunate to not suffer any complications, so my recovery was relatively easy. Well as easy for having brain surgery.
Terri
Where was your aneurysm located? Are you having any complications now?
I'm glad you pointed that out and will start my list of questions going for the dr.
Anterior communicating artery. No complications, only a few "side effects." My incision sight is still a little sensitive to sun. I need to wear a hat if I am in the sun for a prolonged period of time. Also, if I do too much, I might get a little tired.
Terri
Terri,
I was so grateful for the information you provided that I went back and looked at your journey. I can't tell you how much it means to be able to see you go from understandably frightened to recovered in just a few mouse clicks. I meet Tuesday with the surgeon to learn his take on the process and am curious... They went through your forehead but he is planning on going through the left side of my skull. Do you know why they went through your forehead? Your AComA was the same size as mine... but I am missing one of the arteries that feed into the ACom - apparently a genetic issue I was born with.
Carol
Due to the shape (think Mickey Mouse ears) and wide neck of the annie, the doctor *thought* there could be a possibility that the clip(s) could restrict blood flow. If that was the case, he would have needed to do a bypass. He wanted a clear, head on view of the annie. He could have come in from the side, but he would not have gotten a very clear view of the annie. Thankfully the clips (I wound up with 3) did not restrict blood flow and I did not need a bypass. Another surgeon that I had met with was going to come through the left side since he did not think there was any need for bypass.
This is actually funny. Since they came through the forehead, I was WORRIED about an uneven forehead once the bone was put back. My doc actually took a little fat from my stomach and injected it into my forehead to make sure it was absolutely even. I told him to take more but he just wouldn't. :)
Terri
That is funny!!! Yes, I wouldn't mind a little face lift while they're at it lol!
Hi Carol,
I had an annie burst and bleed on July 15. The doctors tried to coil, going in though my femoral artery, but something happened and they couldn't do it, so they clamped it. I am glad they clamped it because I've heard the coiling doesn't work for every annie. When I woke up, my head felt swollen (it wasn't), and hurt tremendously. I am now 2 months out and today is the first day that I can say that my headache is barely there. Actually, the headaches got lighter each day as did the sleepiness. When I first got out of the hospital, I had to take a nap every 2 hours. I also had a shunt installed so I now have a permanent egg on the front of my head, just a bit above my forehead, where they opened me up. My hair is growing back, so it's not as evident. As far as physical deficits, I have a slight pull to the left when I walk. It's not noticeable, but I feel it. Another is my vision. I had Superman vision prior to this :-) and now I think that I need reading glasses. I have an appointment next week. I wish you the best and please be sure to update us when you're able to. Take care!
Sorry you had to go thru that! But glad you’re doing well! What’s a shunt? And where was your aneurysm?