Hi @Elena. I am also new to this group. I had a ruptured subarachnoid aneurysm. I was in the icu for a week and while there my rupture was coiled. I don’t know what the difference is between getting a stint versus a coil. Can you offer some insight. Im afraid that the coil won’t hold.
Leelee
Good Morning! I’ve moved your question to @Elena from the welcomes to our General category. She’ll get the notification in her box. Hopefully more members will reply and share their experience. Thank you for posting and welcome to our support group!
I also ruptured and spent 26 days in NSICU (Neurosurgery ICU) back in 2013. I was coiled. I have an odd shaped aneurysm think blackberry not blueberry as it had over 24 daughter sacs. About 6 months later, coiled again because the coils compacted, and about 12-18 months later they’d compacted again so more coils with a balloon assist. Then in 2020, Dr. Quintero-Wolfe (Dr. Q-W for ease of typing) installed a Neuroform Atlas stent and came by late that evening with her Residents in tow. She let me give them my theory which was the coils (little tiny wires) mitigated into the daughter sacs thus opening the neck.
This is an older (2008) break down of what coils are (I do t usually go back this far as fortunately for many of us, myself included, medical science has grown leaps and bounds over the years. So when you do your research, try to stay within the last 3-5 years. Coils in a Nutshell: A Review of Coil Physical Properties - PMC
Stents are like wire cages. There are numerous different types from several different manufacturers. Some of the more common ones you’ll read about here are the PED and FRED. The choice of course is up to our Neurosurgeon. Here’s an easy to understand explanation of both coils and stents https://www.uchealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PE-Coiling_UCNI.pdf
Hi @Leelee -
We are so happy to have you here with us! Please continue to ask all the questions or let us know what we can do to support you.
I, too, had a ruptured subarachnoid aneurysm (SAH) in the summer of 2023. I had 3 coils placed, and (eventually) went along on my merry way (admittedly I have had a number of related issues, but that’s a story for another day). Of course, post-rupture, I underwent periodic checks (CT scans, MRIs, CT Angiograms) to check on the status of my aneurysm.
My aneurysm kept growing, so in order to take care of it once and for all, I just had a pipeline stent placed this past October. In my non-medical, layperson understanding, a stent is a wire framework placed in the artery below the aneurysm. Over time, cells will grow over the framework and thus seal off the artery from the aneurysm, stopping blood from flowing into the aneurysm. Or, as I told my nurse who was explaining it to me, you are trying to kill it as without blood, it can’t grow any more (good riddance!). 
Stents do take time though to have the cells grow over; for me, it was probably about 3 months, but I had a small one (< 3mm). That’s why (again in my non-medical, layperson observation) is why stents do not work when you have had a rupture as you need a solution asap, hence the use of coils.
The coils may or may not hold, but remember that the GREAT news is that there are other things that can be done, such as stents (and side note, mine worked! I have no residual aneurysm now!). I am confident that your medical team is going to be watching you very carefully.
Please continue to ask whatever questions you would like, and let us know how we can support you!!
Fin Whale Fan 
@Leelee
It is common that the coils impact over time, especially for us with an aneurysm that has a broad opening into the artery. To have a stent is a more effective and permanent treatment to close the aneurysm. For aneurysms that hasn’t ruptured it is possible to have a stent inserted at once. For us who have ruptured, there is no such option. To treat the ruptured aneurysm is a two- step procedure. The first step is to stop the bleeding with coils, a blood clot will form where the coils are inserted.
A couple of months later, a stent is inserted and if more coils are needed it will be done at the same time. Before this happens we have to start medication for blood clots, two different anti platelet medications is needed and we have to stay on that for many months. When we ruptured we couldn’t be given the anti platelet medication because it would cause more bleeding. That’s the reason why it is possible to get a stent at the first procedure for people that are lucky enough to have caught this before it ruptures.
I hope this explanation helps.
Thank you for the explanation. I have my follow up appointment with my neurosurgeon coming up so I’ll be able to ask questions with more knowledge. Thank you again and I wish you a continued recovery.