Hello I’m having the pipeline surgery on my 4 mm aneurysm this coming Friday and I’m so scared . please whoever had this kind of surgery share the story with me to make feel good . No scary stories please
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@zinoueyad10
I can understand that you are scared. It’s normal to feel that way. I had a similar procedure, a stent and more coils six months after my aneurysm had ruptured. I was among the happy ones who came out of the rupture with almost no deficits. My neurosurgeon told me and my husband at the follow up appointment that he recommended a new surgery as he couldn’t completely close the aneurysm. I must say that we were shocked to hear this. I asked a lot of questions and I was very hesitant to do it, we agreed that I should think about it for two weeks and then tell him my decision. The neurosurgeon assured me that this upcoming procedure would be a smooth process compared to the rupture and the time in the ICU. He was right. He told me that there are some centers that send their patients home the same day, but he wants his patients to stay overnight and be sent home the following day. I finally collected some inner strength and decided to get it done.
The day came and I decided to trust the neurosurgeon, I knew that this is what he does for a living, saving people’s lives. I used to be in healthcare myself before I retired and I knew that everyone is very professional. I was taken good care of by the nurses in the pre-op unit, make sure that you tell them that you are nervous, they will do everything they can to keep you comfortable. The doctor arrived and we talked a little bit and then one nurse came and said “I will give you some medication to take the edge off “ ….and I was out! 
The next thing I remember is that I was in a bed, with my husband and neurosurgeon by my side and they said that it was over and everything went well.
I stayed overnight in the ICU, I couldn’t sleep and I was talking and joking with my night nurse, it was a relief to have had it done. I was discharged the next day and I took it easy for the rest of the week. Walked a little indoors but not too much until the next week. Just a precaution from my side because of the incision in my groin. What I have experienced might be different from what you will experience, but I didn’t have any headache at all, just a little bit tired. Be prepared to see some flashing lights in your eyes, it is described by many members of our site, I had them and they have slowly disappeared. The night after the procedure was the worst and the staff told me it could happen because of the dye they used during the surgery. My rupture was 21/2 years ago and the stent was inserted six months later. I had my second follow up checkup with an MRI last November, the aneurysm is gone! My neurosurgeon told me that I was welcome back in two years and that I should go out and live my life.
This is my long story.
I hope you will get the same result and experience the relief when the procedure is over.
Good luck to you . I will be thinking of you on Friday. We are here for each other. Get back to us whenever you want.
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@zinoueyad10
It’s actually a good thing that you have caught this aneurysm before it might create more problems and potentially rupture. I will tag @Moltroub and hopefully you will get some more help tomorrow.
Try to relax ( it’s easier said than done) bring some comfortable clothes for the surgery day, make a comfy place at home where you can rest. Have meals prepared and your pantry stocked. Someone to stay with you for some days. Drink some extra fluid the day before the surgery, it makes it easier to put the iv needles in.
Again
Good Luck 
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Thank you so much for replying and for all the advices. I really appreciate it .
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@zinoueyad10
I also got much help from this group, hearing from others who have been through the same thing. I forgot to mention that I was sensitive to bright light in the beginning, so bring a pair of sunglasses with you to wear when you get home in the car. The sensitivity is much better now.
Remember that we are here for you 
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A month ago, I had 7 seven coils and a stent placed to embolize my 4.5 mm aneurysm. I was released from Neuro ICU less than 24 hours later and absolutely feel as great as I did before the procedure. Mine was a basilar aneurysm and I had no symptoms at all prior. I was very scared before the procedure but I knew I had a great, experienced team so I decided it was best to fix it because a ruptured aneurysm can be devastating. I won’t stop worrying until the followup angiogram in 5 months. It is just amazing how far treatment for unruptured and ruptured has come. Good luck.
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I had pipeline surgery 5 years ago this week. It is scary but I am so thankful for the procedure. My advice, give yourself time to heal. The surgery felt easy, and is so non-invasive it almost feels silly to say you had brain surgery but it IS brain surgery. Recovery takes time. For me it took about 6 months to feel completely back to normal. The recovery wasn’t hard but I would get tired and it would feel like my brain was moving slow. It will get better. This is just part of healing. Give yourself grace in the process. That being said, I made a very very high stress move within 5 weeks of my surgery. Life moved on. The only complication I had was during a follow up angio 2 years later. Sending hugs. You got this!
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It’s your big day! You’ll do great and everyone has given great advice. Like @oct20 I have had 3 repairs after my rupture (last one was a stent) which is a breeze compared to the long stay in NSICU. I’ve always stayed overnight for the repairs. I always order the salmon or the humus which is really good. We are really glad you caught this early. Our thoughts will be with you. Remember to breathe and if you breathe out when the RN puts the needle in, it doesn’t hurt as much. Good luck and please tell us how it went once you’re rested.
Hi, I understand being scared as well. Healing meditations helped me greatly prior to my surgery visualizing the success of the placement of the pipeline stent.
My surgery was in December 2017 to treat a 22 mm fusiform aneurysm. They also placed a coil due to the size once they got in there. Since then, I’ve been able to return to life, as I knew it, only with more gratitude. I am one of the few, I believe, that have no pain post aneurysm treatment, so hopefully you will fall into that category as well. I do have some residual issues due to the location of the aneurysm and the damage it has caused to some nerves, but other than that all is good.
Many blessings to you breathe deeply, and trust in your treatment team.
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Good Luck to you I did very well with mine I had four brain aneurysm I was fortunate that they put a pipe line diverter in three of them. I did very well after the surgery , just had to stay on top of other medications with my team due to my other health issues. I also could not wait for the catheter to be taken out…I hate that with any of my surgeries I have had and was able to have removed once I woke up . Good Luck to you and please let us know how you do 
I have one on the side of my head that is still small and they are watching I want to say I am hitting my sixth year since my surgery .
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I am two weeks post-op and had almost the same similar outcome. My groin site had to be stitched because the bleeding wouldn’t stop due to the thinners, but other than that, no issues. I do get that flashes of light and I am so glad that is normal. I had just asked my surgeon today about that. About how long until they go away? What causes them?
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@sldowney05
My eye doctor told me that it happens when a blood vessel to the ophtalmic nerve gets constricted and he said that it is very common and nothing to be worried about. He also said that if I take some deep breaths it will help.
I also asked the neurosurgeon at my last follow up and he has a similar explanation. He also said that it is nothing to worry about and that it will most likely disappear with time.
I haven’t noticed anything for the last six months so it has definitely gotten better.
So sad to hear about the bleeding of the artery, I’m sure it doesn’t happen often.
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thank you. that makes total sense
How did your surgery go? Hoping all went well and you’re doing fine!
Thank you guys . my surgery went well . I’m 8 days post pipeline surgery . The only issue I have is that I just did blood work CBC yesterday and I have low hemoglobin and low hematocrit which means that i have anemia not sure if it is because of the surgery or anything else . One month ago it was good but I know that I went through angiogram and the stent angiogram in 2 weeks apart so that maybe the cause . still having anxiety about the complications but I think that’s normal … I’m not sure when I’m going to stop thinking about the complications of blood clot and bleeding and stroke but I’m trying to be calm .
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it’s very normal to have anemia at this stage - i did, too! have your doc get you some iron supplements. a good ferritin count helps the blood stay thin, along with the DAPT that you’re on.
most complications happen in the first week. so let yourself step down a LITTLE with the anxiety! the anxiety doesn’t leave, bc if you think about it… anxiety has been our friend for a while. give yourself some time to feel safer. it’ll come!
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Hi Cerritos
How long it took for your anemia to get better ? And did you have any symptoms after the surgery ? How long it took you to feel yourself ?
anemia has to be treated with mega-dose supplements and it takes forever. you can get them at target though! or anywhere. unless it’s cheaper for your doc to prescribe them. i use nature made and it’s 361% the daily value of iron, since once you’re anemic, it’s a loooong road to getting that ferritin back up lol.
i’m about 4-5 months into my iron treatment. it was slow going, but about 2 months in my levels must have become more evened-out, because my energy level and clarity really started to be noticeable at that mark.
as for my symptoms after surgery, i have a thread i made on here that i think i kept updating, but might have forgotten: Flow diverter story (i'll try to put as many keywords as i can to help anyone else in the future!)
to feel myself, i won’t lie to you… it took me about 6-7 months. it’s an ongoing project, i like to say.
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Hi. I had coils and a flow diverter put in mid January for my 8mm right paraclinoid. They went through my wrist. I was a homebody the better part of the first week (tired and some headaches) was fairly normal by the second week, and fully back to all activities and sports by the third week. No big side effects or bad bruising from the Brilinta and baby aspirin. Some visual auras for the first month, but they were not a problem really and went away after that. So I hope your experience recovering goes well!
First take a deep breath. It’s like @cerrillos shared, post surgery anemia is very common. Depending on how low your numbers are will let the doctor know if you need any type of treatment or not. I’ve never had to take any supplements as my body will even everything out in a couple months. I just have to be mindful with my diet and make sure I eat foods high in iron. There’s been a few times that my Neurosurgeon asked me to follow up with my PCP because driving 63 miles for a simple blood test makes no sense when I can just see my PCP. It always boils down to what did your doctor say to do, if anything? If they haven’t said, reach out to the team and ask.
I do believe the risks of stroke, etc. are usually higher during a procedure as those are the things I’m told prior to one. I think there is also the 24 hour after procedure as that’s usually when a Resident or now, my NP calls me to check up on how I’m doing and if there’s any pain. The only time they called everyday, multiple times a day for 72 hours was when I ended up with a huge hematoma on my groin area from when the Resident didn’t put enough pressure on the closure device and Dr. Q-W did a handstand on it. When I say huge, my hand wouldn’t cover all of it and I had a lot more rules for a lot longer time, drove me batty:crazy_face: