I have a 6mm aneurysm on the anterior communicating artery which was found totally by accident. My doctor sent me for a standard colon scan (looking for cancer - he gets me to do this every couple of years), which showed up a 5cm aneurysm on the abdominal aorta (that's another story - nothing to worry about). As a result, he suggested an MRI which found the aneurysm hiding in my brain. Of course, no-one knows how long it's been there, whether it might grow or how likely it is that it will rupture. The first neurosurgeon I saw explained that it had a very wide neck and that coiling was not an option. He said I needed open surgery - now. I didn't trust him and went to a much larger hospital (I'm writing from Europe so I guess the hospital system is very different). They looked at it and felt that an endovascular approach might well be possible (in this department alone they do around 1,000 a year). I'm going for an endovascular angiogram this week and then we'll know more. Good luck with your Annie's. Bye, Richard
Good luck Richard and please keep us posted. I was told that my annie couldn't be coiled either and I need to have surgery which as you know is terrifying to say the least! I go to see him this week and he will explain every thing to me. Then I'm going next week to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Mn for a second opinion and then I will make my decision to either live with a "ticking time bomb" or have the surgery and face the possible compications so it's a very tough position the I'm in. Take care and I hope all goes well for you!
Wish you both could be assessed in Buffaloā¦Dr. Hopkins. My annie was in a carotid arteryā¦but also had a wide neckā¦looked nothing like the balloon type. They set a stent and 2 months later they put in coils. 9 years ago and all seems to be fineā¦ Richard, he learned his craft in Europe. And, Karenraeā¦itās my belief that Mayo clinic is the best!! Good luck to you both!
Just to let you know, Karenrae, I had the angiogram yesterday and it looks like we may be going ahead with an endovascular approach. The guy who would do the work is suggesting putting a kind of platinum ball of mesh in the annie and then holding it in with a stent. He has his weekly team meeting on Monday and, if everyone agrees, we'll start talking about dates. You are absolutely doing the right thing in getting a second opinion! The first person I consulted (in my local hospital) is a surgeon and (as I found out later) that hospital doesn't have much of a history with the endovascular approach. So he clearly told me that working through the arteries was out of the question (which now appears not to be the case) and pushed strongly for surgery. Then several friends recommended another hospital which has a Europe-wide reputation in this field and they are now the people I am hoping to work with. Good luck and keep your options open until you are sure which way you want to go. PS: I think Susan is right - even over here the Mayo Clinic has a good reputation!
So glad for you, richplum. Yes, that ball of platinum is the coilā¦they send a fine āwireā of it through the stent until it fills the aneurysm. I was awake for my proceduresā¦ Could see the tv of it allā¦they must have given me somethingā¦but I was very calm with it. Had to hold my breath every few minutesā¦ Hope Iām not scaring youā¦ Just make sure they close your femoral artery site āthe European wayāā¦ Whatever that is. But it works greatā¦ All the best!! Keep us posted. Just a note hereā¦if anyone is feeling too overwhelmed, it would be my advice to not read others stories for a bit. Even though itās been 9 plus years for meā¦i still just donāt want to even think about it at timesā¦
Susan you are sooo right. I had to get away for a while myself as it can be scary. I have to decide now if I want to wait and watch or go ahead with surgery. I'm still going to the Mayo next week for a second opinion then I will decide. My percent of complications with surgery is about the same as the chance of a rupture without surgery so I either face it now or face it later.It's a hard decision as no one wants to think about it everytime you get a pain in your head that this could be it!! After I deal with the annie then it's the AVM where they will do lazer surgery which I guess is very low risk. I can't wait until I'm like you Susan looking back and glad it's over!
Hi Chloe, just wanted to say Iām here also in the same situation, I still havenāt had a follow-up and I had a 7 mm basilar aneurysm coiled in Feb. 2013. Still waiting for follow-up. Only one qualified doctor locally and obviously very busy. Best of luck to you. Keep us posted as Iām also a little nervous. I donāt think we would be normal if we werenāt. But I do believe we didnāt get a second chance for nothing. Keep positive. Yvette
Hi Richard, good for you. I had a 7mm basilar artery coiled 16 months ago. Iāve seen both treatments as my sister had one and had open surgery 14 years ago (endovascular wasnāt available here at the time). Good for you!! Iām still in awe that I had it fixed with so little effect and hardly any recovery time except rest. All the best! Yvette
Hi, Karenrae, Iām glad that youāre going for a second opinion. Itās a very big difference in the healing time and effort if the coiling can be done. Best of luck to you. Yvette
Hi Jenna, first of all, I want to say how very sorry I am that you have to go thru this and can imagine how scared you must be. I strongly urge you to go for a second opinion. Iām in New Brunswick and had a 7mm on the basilar artery coiled by an endovascular procedure right here in Moncton, NB in Feb 2013 and came away without any recovery time except for a few weeks of rest. Itās amazing the technology these days but I know that the doctors who do these procedures are not very numerous in Canada. We only have one doctor in Moncton, NB. which covers 2 provinces and part of a third. Although they did the procedure 6 months after it was found, Iām still waiting for my 6 months follow-up after 16 months. Doc is very busy. However, Iām still completely in awe with the fact the itās been fixed and I lead a very normal life. Best of luck to you and donāt give up! Keep me informed. Yvette
Hi Cindy, mine was found by pro-active check-ups every few years as my 37 year old sister had one 14 years ago. Technology has come a long way and mine was repaired by an endovascular procedure 16 months ago and I lived a completely normal life since. You may be a candidate for such a procedure which is not invasive at all. If you want to look it up, it is endovascular coiling. They went thru my femoral artery and fixed it that way. (Amazing, from the groin area of all places). Best of luck to you. Yvette
I have 2aneurysms that they are just watching so I have tried to do a little research on it
From what I can tell it comes down to the the safest bet itās sounds like your odds are best to just watch it and enjoy your life as time goes on I gain confidence that everything is going to be ok .so have a great wedding in August
Well I went for my second opinion at the Mayo Clinic and they pretty much told me the same as my neurosurgeons in MPLS they just have different ways of dealing with my issues.
My aneurysm is on my internal Carotid artery behind my left eye. I was told it's a very common place for women of my age 50's and it's 4mm. I was also told that it has a very low risk of rupture like 1-2% which is about the same I believe as my risks from surgery. I can either watch and monitor or choose to have surgery as many people do because of the anxiety one feels. For me I'm having a very hard time knowing it's there and what could happen. I don't know which way to go. I'm equally scared of both options. The one thing they said that a person can do to lower their risk of rupture is do not smoke. I would love others thoughts on this. Thanks and good luck to all of us!!
My story of aneurysm discovery is sort of similar (found incidentally while checking out something unrelated that turned out not to be a problem). I opted for surgery so that I could quit worrying about it. I am not confident that the doctors have great data behind those "risk of rupture" numbers they spit out, there are just too many variables and not that many studies.
Also, I figured it would be better to do the surgery now, while I have pretty good insurance, some schedule flexiblity at work and at home, and no other major health problems to deal with. Plus, there was the financial angle: I was already almost done meeting my huge insurance deductible by the time it was all documented and diagnosed. During surgery, my doctor took photos of the problem, and said in real life, the aneurysm looked much closer to to rupturing than he would have guessed from the imaging...maybe it was just a reassuring thing to say, though.
The surgery went very well. But, I have had some complications since then (a round of really impressive seizures, cause still undetermined but probably related to surgery)--- not life threatening, but scary and unexpected, and if I'd opted for the watch and wait approach, my summer would be going very differently. I can't drive right now and it's a huge hassle, for one thing.
That's just my reasoning, in case it gives you some things you haven't already obsessed over. I really don't think there's any "right" call on this. Think, talk to people, meditate, give yourself time to get a gut feeling for what is going to be comfortable for you. Getting a third expert opinion is fine, too; don't feel silly asking for more input if you need it.
They found a 13mm Annie intracavernous left carotid my corrective surgery was on 5/22/14 Dr. Khalil Zahra one of two doctors in this area whom are able to perform Angioedmna Pipeline. I suggest you do as much research as you can before going, I found it easier to ask question and understanding the answers better. It was helpful to bring someone with me whom can take notes or help process the information. My doctor and his staff were very helpful, patient and kind which made the process easier. What it came down to for me is God blessed me, Iām 54 YOBW, my health is good so is my insurance and He put everyone and everything thing including me in its place.
Thanks Yvette, Unfortunatly coiling is not a option I was told by the Mayo and 3 other Neurosurgeons. So if and when I decide what I'm going to do it will be the surgery. The only thing I still don't know is if it will be clipped or something called Fusion (I think)
Sore stiff neck and blurred vision ct found disecting endovascular surgery stent working well wait watch 2 other brain aneurysm
Family console me by saying its nothing to worry about Realty sucks