How often are you supposed to get checked?
My aneurysm was in 2005. The only follow up my neurologist had advised me to do was follow up with an ophthalmologist to get pressure checks done on my eyes. It actually wasnt until just the other day where I had saw some information on getting an MRA 5-10 years following the procedure.
Hi Deann,
Did you have a surgical clipping or a coil? I had one followup CT after my last clip surgery (like 3 weeks after surgery) in Feb 2010...I had a clipping on an annie in Dec 98 and never had any scans after I left the hospital, but on coils there's a different set of rules to play by...I had coiling done in Dec 2006, but my Neurosurgeon at the time never bothered to mention that I should be getting repeat scans afterwards, and sure enough my coils compacted 3 years later--what a surprise ! I had no clue that the standard procedure after getting coils is to have angiograms at certain intervals, and from what I see here people get them at 6 months or so after the procedure, than another in a year , and so on...makes sense ofcourse, as about % 25 of coiled annies' compact over time and need to be re-addressed. Clippings are more the permanent fix and typically there is little after-care or scans involved with clippings....
Better safe then blind sided (like I was !)
Peace, Janet
Hi Deann...everyone is different with checkups and those procedures...however, I am under the impression I will be followed for Life...I go for periodic checks with angiograms and hope someday I can do something alittle less invasive...I think you need to speak to either your Neurosurgeon and/or Neurologist ~ Colleen
Hi, I had coiling last year and my doctor does MRA in one year and then two years. He said it was up to me how often after that. It was a year in July and I have yet to schedule the appointment.
Deanna
DeAnn,
I had clipping surgery in Sept 2012 and I had an angiogram the end of November and my neurosurgeon said I would have an MRA in a year and if all looked good I would have MRA every 2 years for a couple of times and then every 5 years for the rest of my life. As it turns out I had an MRA in May for some stroke symptoms after a Heart Cath Angiogram that was done and another aneurysm was found so I will be going back again in May 2014 to see if it has grown. But my neurosurgeon believes that I should be watched for the rest of my life. And my siblings and children need to be screened for them, as well.
~ Carol
I had the coiling procedure and had gone back for I believe an MRA weeks after my release from the hospital. I hadn’t worried about screenings since then because my neurologist had only recommended the eye pressure test yearly. Just the other day I felt some of the symptoms I had felt before the anurisym, which had led me to the hospital in the first place. I now have a call into the neurologists office to see what tests would be affordable and efficient, the insurance I just recently acquired only covers well checks.
Thanks for your updates as it has provided more information than the drs office.
God’s blessings to all!
My Rupture and coiling was 3 years ago. I have had 3 angiograms and going for my forth MRA/MRI this Friday. My coils have compacted and I have few options so they are keeping a very close eye on it. So as you can see by my reply and others, the follow-up depends on many things. If your coiling is stable, the follow-ups will get farther apart. If you have movement each time as with mine, they will get more frequent.
But doctors get busy and they may not follow-up with you. I would recommend you check in with them at least once a year and ask if any imaging is necessary. Best of luck!