Has anyone had a WEB coil repair on an unruptured aneurysm and if so did you have any post procedure side effects or health issues that you didn’t have before the procedure? I have been given the choice to watch and wait or repair a recently found 3.8mm aneurysm - same risk with either choice. Trying to find out what others have experienced after repairing an unruptured aneurysm.
Howdy. Can’t help you there. My friendly (thus far) unruptured aneurysm received a stent-assisted coiling (SAC) service. I wasn’t given the option of a Woven EndoBridge (WEB). Were you only given the options of a wait-and-see and WEB?
Good morning CR and thanks for posting! We do have several members who have had the use of a WEB device for unruptured aneurysms and I hope a few will come and share their experiences. You can do a search using the magnifying glass to see what older topics have to give.
All of us experience some level of anxiety whether we rupture or not. The best advice I can share for that is relaxation breathing and enjoy the little things life brings your way. Please do not allow your aneurysm to control your life, that’s a deep, dark hole that’s difficult to climb out of. A lot of our members do Yoga, Tai Chi, or some other type of mindful exercise. Stay in control and enjoy your life!
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@ccr-4
I’m sorry that I can’t help you with your question. I have coils and a stent. But one thing is sure, based on my personal experience. If I was given the chance to secure my aneurysm before it ruptured, I would have chosen to do so, even if it’s not an easy decision to make. I don’t want to scare you or anyone else, but my aneurysm was smaller than yours, it ruptured out of the blue one morning after I had my breakfast. I was lucky to survive the rupture without any major deficits. But the experience of the rupture, the two weeks in the ICU it had its own challenges with vasospasm, cerebral salt wasting syndrome and hydrocephalus. The following year was a year filled with brain fatigue and some PTSD from the rupture.
I decided to accept the recommendation by my neurosurgeon to get a better repair with a stent and more coils six months later. I was scared to do it and my family was scared too, but I knew that I couldn’t live with the knowledge that it might rupture again, as my neurosurgeon said, it’s already a week spot and if it rupture again I would not survive.
It is not an easy decision for you to make, you are between a rock and a hard place. Have you asked your neurosurgeon the same question, they might have a lot of information.
I can understand the risk/ benefit that your neurosurgeon has stated. The risk of rupture might be low, but in my world it is more about the outcome of such a rupture, when we read about the statistics of how many people survive and the outcome of a rupture. The statistics are scary. Not everyone is as lucky as I have been.
I wish you all the best.
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Peter - the WEB was recommended as best option - I’m assuming size and location led to that recommendation. Did you have unexpected side effects after your coiling ?
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Oct20 - after reading so many stories of what happens after rupture I am definitely leaning towards repair. Even with low risk it doesn’t seem worth the risk. I can’t even imagine all you have suffered. I’m told - and read - that over 25 million people have aneurysms - most never know it and there are no problems - but no way of knowing why the low percentage do rupture. It’s scary.
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@ccr-4
I can understand your fear of both options. I was one of them that didn’t know about my aneurysm, I’m the first one in my family with this condition, I’m in the same age-span as you are and I am healthy, exercise, no overweight, just a slight high blood pressure that is under control nonsmoking etc…. As my Family doctor said, I’m his healthiest patient and he would never have guessed that it should happen to me.
It is your body and your life, but to my understanding the procedure is safe, although there is always some risks involved.
I was terrified the morning of the procedure when my husband and I walked in to the hospital for my second surgery. But at the same time I wanted it to get it done so I could leave this fear behind me. I knew that I couldn’t live with the fear that it would rupture again and neither did my family. I trusted my neurosurgeon, when I overheard a conversation he had with someone while I was waiting to be taken to the surgery room, he said that I was his first patient of the day……and I felt so relieved, this is what they do , day out and day in, saving people’s lives 
@Moltroub has had several procedures and when I read about it I realized that if she could do it, I can too. @Moltroub has a wealth of information for you to read and prepare for what is coming, everything from getting your home in order, stock your pantry, cook meals and put in the freezer to make it easier for the first week. Pay bills, take care of important paperwork…… etc.
Take walks, try to relax, hydrate and eat well.
It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, I got home the afternoon after se second surgery. A good thing to bring is a pair of sunglasses to wear when you are in the car on your way home, many of us are sensitive to light for a while after the procedure but it seems to be better after a while.
I hope more members can answer you.
Please let us know how everything goes.
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Oct - 20 - thank you so much for this information!! I too am active and healthy, only issue is moderate high-blood pressure that is controlled - and the only one known in my family that has an aneurysm. Given that technology has progressed so much recently I’m sure it’s possible that previous generations had them, but there is no way of knowing. I so appreciate you sharing your experience and encouragement. Just being able to talk to others that have gone through or are going through this is helping!! I am so sorry that you had to go through what you went through - but you sharing your experience and encouragement is such a comfort to someone in my situation. I will definitely research the information that @Moltroub has provided. I am new to this site so I am still figuring out my way around the information. I am 90% sure I will have the repair - just letting that decision sit in my mind over the weekend before I actually call next week and schedule.
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Thank you Moltroub - reading another reply it seems you have a lot of information to share. If you know of any articles or conversations in this group where others have had the WEB procedure could you point me in that direction. I am new on this site and still figuring it out - I’ve looked through several pages and topics but haven’t found one where anyone shared experiences post a WEB procedure.
I appreciate your advice to relax and breathe !! This decision has been consuming my life because its seems the risk is so low I should just watch it - then I read others experiences where their small ones ruptured - don’t know if I could just watch and wait and always think about it. I just don’t want to cause other issues by having the procedure - if it would be better to wait. I have chosen at Dr at the Mayo Clinic which I trust - and he is comfortable with either decision as both are low risk. So am taking comfort in that - just really want to know what others have experienced having the WEB procedure,
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@ccr-4
I’m glad to hear that our posts are valuable for you. I’m sure that you will make your decision together with your neurosurgeon. Remember that it is your life and your health, we can only describe what we have been through. We are not doctors and we don’t give any medical advice.
I found several posts about the WEB device. Just go to the upper right corner of the screen on our portal, click the magnifying glass and tap in WEB.
I had my last follow up appointment one year ago and I also had an MRI/ MRA to check my aneurysm. When my neurosurgeon told me that everything looked good and the aneurysm was occluded and no longer a part of the circulation, then he said “ I want you to go out in life and celebrate the fact that you are alive “ “Welcome back in 2 years “
What a relief that was! My husband and I teared up when we went to the car.
Please get back to us with your questions and concerns.
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oct20- Really glad to read that you are doing so well!! I searched for WEB as you recommended. I did find several posts and have read through them - and will probably do so again this weekend. Some great information - so thank you and I will keep searching. A lot of the information I found so far was dated so I am still hoping that there are some people on this site who may have had the WEB procedure recently and will comment on their experience. If / when I have the procedure I will be flying to and from the Mayo Clinic and have been told I can fly home right after I’m released (within 48 hrs of the procedure). I’m told I shouldn’t have any post procedure issues after the first 24-48 hours in which they monitor me. It does concern me to get right on a plane after something like that - and although I am being told that I shouldn’t have any issues after being released - I just want to see what others have experienced post procedure so I am prepared. Again - THANK YOU
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@ccr-4
It is fully understandable that you don’t feel comfortable flying home after the surgery. I know that several people on this site have done this without problems. My hospital which is a two hour drive from home, has a “hotel/ motel ”for patients close to the hospital. Perhaps you can check if there is something similar at your hospital? I guess it will feel better if you can rest for an extra day or two in the proximity of the hospital . Remember that you have to have someone staying with you for the first 24 hours after the surgery. You will get all the information what to do and not to do. I would advise you to check if someone could stay with you for a couple of more days. My husband was at home with me for a week after the surgery.
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It looks like @oct20 pointed you in the right direction and you have found the magnifying glass, good for you! A lot of members get on the wait and watch line so you may want to search those as well. It might be the watch and wait, I always forget which comes first.
I’ve done an internet search and found this Long-term clinical and angiographic outcome of the Woven EndoBridge (WEB) for endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms | Scientific Reports.
Long-Term Outcomes of the WEB Device for Treatment of Wide-Neck Bifurcation Aneurysms - PMC. If you stay on this site you will find a lot of information Web device in unruptured aneurysms - PMC - NCBI
Like @oct20 mentions, I too had a small aneurysm at 5mm, it just happened to have a lot of daughter sacs. I have had 4 repairs as I call them for the one aneurysm that ruptured. The last was in 2020 when Dr. Q-W installed a Neuroform Atlas Stent that has really done wonders in my continued recovery. Doctors seem to go with what they are familiar with but I didn’t ask Dr. Q-W how many she had put in. I found out later they are relatively new to the medical dance of repairing aneurysms. From what I’ve learned here, the WEB is used for specific types of aneurysms in specific places. It would be good to ask your surgeon about your aneurysm and why he or she is leaning to the WEB.
Like you, I trust my Neurosurgeon which is paramount to positive outcomes in my opinion. There are a lot of risks to weigh in starting with the anesthesia, the contrast dye and then of course the procedure. You really need to ask your doctor about all of them, you will have to sign releases that say they explained the risks, so don’t let them downplay what the true risks are. Dr. Q-W was explicit with the risks and I had almost memorized them. She sent in a resident prior to one of my angiograms early on and he was minimizing all the risks. I told him he was incorrect and started telling him the risks and to never lie to a patient again. When she came in to the room he was leaning against the exam table bumfuzzeled. Dr. Q-W asked him if he understood what I was saying and he’d do well to follow my advice. When he left the room, we had a good chuckle about her siccing me on the poor man. She said she’d been trying to explain to him that he really did need to be transparent with patients so they could make a well informed decision. Another fun time was when an Anesthesiologist Resident came in prior to an angiogram and was going over the risks. He had them memorized in specific order and I kept interrupting him so he had to start over from the top. Dr. Shaw scolded me and told me to give the young man a break. I said he should know them rather than memorize them. I like to joke around when I’m nervous so it’s good for me to have someone in my room that will kid around with me before I go into the procedure room.
I think it was one of my first visits to her office after I ruptured when I asked about how one gets an aneurysm and why it ruptures. She told me that they really don’t know and most aneurysms are found during autopsy. She also said most aneurysms don’t rupture and people don’t even know they have one.
Be careful with numbers and percentages unless you’re reading a paper that deals specifically with the patients the study deals with. Probably the 25 million is just for the USA and not the world. In past readings I learned that Japan has the most aneurysms per capita than any other country which really does lead one to genetics. Like @oct20 there is no family history for me, my guess is for me I’ve had a few serious bumps on the head, so I tend to lean to that theory. I can go through the list the have now that wasn’t available when I ruptured and check off a few I shouldn’t be doing but most don’t apply, like high blood pressure. I was in a high stress job so that’s a possibility as well. I will be ever grateful that I ruptured at home and not whilst working. I would have been devastated if I had ruptured when driving or had a client in my vehicle and harmed someone.
I once asked the head of an organization whose numbers used to be quoted all the time how they came up with them, his reply was they all agreed. That is not how statistics is done. Some hospitals will keep records, the one I go to does not the last I asked. It would be great if every hospital or Radiologist would report to the State and then the States numbers could be compiled for the country.
If you need any help navigating this site, you can always reach out to either me, @Moltroub or the fine folks @ModSupport in a PM (just click on either and you’ll see “message” pop up. Then click on “message” and you can type in what you need). Please do keep us in the loop on what you decide.
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Good advice - thank you oct20. My husband will be with me as well every step of the way. If Mayo wasn’t so far from home my kids and grandkids would likely be around as well - but I’ll have plenty of help once I’m home too. My concern is something post surgery related happening on the plane ride home. But I’m assuming that’s a minimal risk as well otherwise the drs wouldn’t let you fly home so quick after surgery. I’m continuing to look up articles to get educated and just trying to not let this absorb every waking thought in the process. I really appreciate the thoughts and comments you have provided.
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Thank you Moltroub! I have spent a couple hours this morning going to these sites which as you noted has led to others. I think before I schedule the actual procedure I am going to ask for a second consultation and have more questions typed up and ready to go. The more I read the more questions come to mind. I’m also going to follow your previous advice and not let this consume me as I have done lately. Having a choice (although a blessing as to sense of no urgency) has been driving me crazy as to what is the best choice - or wrong choice. I’m going to set aside a specific time limit each day to review information then just focus on life and my family the rest of my day. Thank you so much for the direction to these articles !!!
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Hey there, being a healthy, fit 41 year old Male, excellent BMI and steady normal BP with no health problems, I was in disbelief when they called me to tell me my MRI showed a fair size 9.4mm aneurysm in my MCA. They suggested surgery in which I absolutely agreed to. I didn’t leave the hospital until it was done. Surgery was a breeze. The stress leading up to it was far worse. I felt a little cloudy for a few weeks, but I was for the most part back to normal life within a week.
Strangely enough, surgeon only estimated a likelihood of rupture of 1-2%. Never quite understood that, it seems too low. He said the surgery ran a similar risk. I felt like having a nearly 10mm aneurysm in my brain was just not an option. I said let’s do the surgery. They decided on the WEB while doing my angiogram. He had said prior to sedation that once they determined exactly what we were dealing with while in there, he would do the repair if it was possible. I was expecting coiling, woke up with a WEB. Very happy with how that worked out.
Anyway, I’ve been on here with worry of headaches, the usual “is this normal” post, but I can tell you nearly 5 months later, I’ve already had 2 post op MRIs (I pushed for them early) and all looks excellent. I feel good, though I still worry at times. I had ZERO restrictions within 2 weeks of surgery. In some ways, I feel almost better than I did prior to surgery? I couldn’t tell you of any symptoms prior to surgery as I only had an MRI done because of some slight tinnitus I had been experiencing.
The aneurysm was fully occluded once they finished putting in the WEB. They said it went excellently and upon waking up, I had a little achy was around my groin where they did the incision, but it was no worse than a bruise or pulled groin. Could barely even notice the point of incision, it literally looked like a 1 mm paper cut, quite remarkable.
Make the best decision for you. Trust your doctors, and if uncertain, as for a second opinion. I wish you the best, you got this 
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@ccr-4
I am sure you will find the right decision for you going forward, we all know that it is not easy . Getting a second opinion might also be helpful for you. I’m glad to hear that you have a good support, we all need it. I’m sure that the doctors are right when they say that you can fly home so early after your surgery.
I flew to my mother country in Europe from the USA almost a year after my second surgery for one of my son’s wedding. My neurosurgeon assured me that nothing can happen in my head during the flight, he had told me much earlier that I could make the trip. I just had to be aware of that I still was on a high dose of blood thinners, he meant that I should just be overall careful and not bump into things. I flew ten days before my husband could go, I must say that I was a bit anxious… but after the first flight of three I realized that everything felt good. I had brought a pair of earplugs and a mask to cover my eyes if I needed to get away from the bright lights on the plane and all the noise. I used them when I took a nap. These items could be good for you to bring as well as a pair of sunglasses. Many of us have experienced that we were a little bit sensitive to light and noise after the surgery, but it got better with time. I actually had flown back to the USA from Europe three weeks before my aneurysm ruptured!!! It’s a total of about 20 hours from door to door. I kept telling my self that I was much more secure than during that previous trip. All the questions “ what if”…… what if it had ruptured when I was in an airplane over the Ocean……well, we know the answer, I wouldn’t be here now…….Now I have attended the wedding of one of my sons, meeting our new grandchild. I am very grateful for this.
I forgot to mention that when I got my second surgery with a stent and additional coils, I didn’t have any problems, no side effects, no headaches, nothing. I rested for a week, I just walked around in our home the first following days, after that we went for short walks outdoors to get some fresh air. I wanted to make sure that the incision in my groin was healing properly before I started to walk longer distances. I haven’t had any other side effects from that procedure that I know of, the minimal deficits I have is from the rupture. But this is how I felt, others may react differently.
Please keep us posted.
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I agree with ccr-4 and have beeen a strong proponent of acquiring second opinions for major medical procedures.for a very long time. Whether that second doctor is acquired via word of mouth or websites like this one, https://www.medifind.com . Additionally, doctors will be more amenable to provide a second opinion for you is you kept personal copies of all the tests and doctor’s notes (via a patient portal) from the original doctor and are willing to share them with the second opining doctor. To include all visuals of CTs, MRIs, angiograms, etc.
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Thank you cloudy. Your comments have helped. I will look for your other post on headaches to see what you and other people say. Do you mind if I ask a couple questions? Do you think the mild tinnitus you were experiencing prior to discover was a symptom of the aneurysm? Is the tinnitus gone now post procedure? I am having some symptoms (not tinnitus) that I read online could be symptoms of aneurysm but doctors are telling me there is no way to be sure but wondering that if they are related if they’ll go away post procedure. You also noted that you still worry sometimes - what do you worry about? Hard for me to believe that a nearly 10mm aneurysm such as yours only had a 1-2% chance of rupture. Glad to read you are happy overall with the procedure and feel better. Again - thank you for your comments.
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Oct20 - it really is comforting to read the joys in life you are experience after going through what you did. Do you mind if I ask where your aneurysm was located and the size when it ruptured. You noted that it was smaller than mine. Mine is located in the basilar tip. I know that no two are alike - but it just surprises me that the doctors and literature I read states how low of a rupture rate there is for small aneurysms - yet there are so many people that still rupture. It was really helpful to read that your second procedure was smooth without side-effects. Thank you
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