Stroke during clipping

Hello everyone. I am recently new to this site. I've been trying to read as much as possible but am wondering if anyone experienced a stroke during a clipping procedure for an unruptured aneurysm. My mom went in for clipping on Dec 6th, 2011 for a 6mm berry brain aneurysm. The aneurysm had a daughter attached to it we were told. Originally we were told that the surgery went well and that they did have some trouble placing the clip because of calcification of the aneurysm. I guess the clip kept slipping off. They were able to finally place the clip. Once in recovery they discovered that my mom was not waking up as quickly as she should have and was also experiencing right sided weakness. A cat scan showed that my mom had a small stroke but in a very important area of the brain(area which controls motor). My mom has some short term memory problems and right sided paralysis. It has been 6 months since the stroke and my mom is walking very slowly with an AFO on her leg and has no function of her right arm/hand. I am absolutely heartbroken and devastated, as is the rest of my family. Prior to the surgery my mom was a pretty healthy active 69 yr old. The aneurysm was found accidentally when an MRI was done to see why she was experiencing some hearing loss in her left ear. The hearing loss turned out to be unrelated to the aneurysm. I am experiencing so many feelings-anger, fear, panic, sadness. I wish I could go back and erase the day this happened. I wish now that she didn't have the surgery-maybe she could have gone another 20 yrs without anything happening. It breaks my heart to see her cry and I feel so helpless. I just want her to be okay. I want her back the way she was!

Kathleen,

You highlight yet another complication that can occur because of clipping or for that matter coiling surgery. I have not read about this happening in anyone's surgery on this site or others, but suvivors in any condition are only the tip of the iceberg we see among the entire surgical population. I wish your Mother's outcome was different but don't give up hope that she can make further improvements. God Bless you and cherish any time you can spend with her.

Hi Kathleen,

Your mom's experience is heartbreaking. This type of outcome is what we all fear when contemplating aneurysm surgery. Your feelings of anger, fear, panic, sadness are very understandable and I, too, wish that you could turn back the clock.

What do the doctors say about her prognosis for the future?

While there is probably little that I can say to comfort you, I would like to share the following and I hope that it will provide some encouragement.

My grandmother had a stroke when she was in her early 70's. She lost the use of her right hand and arm. Fortunately, she got some very good physical and occupational therapy which, although it did not make her whole, did allow her to function pretty well. She maintained her own household (with the help of a couple of my uncles) until she was 92 and she was still a good cook. She went to Disneyworld with me for our family reunion when she was 91! The next year she went to live with my mom and lived to be 96 years old. When she passed, there were 4 generations of family (she made the 5th generation) who loved her and knew her love.

I will pray that your mother will get the very best therapy so that she can maximize her full potential for recovery. May God grant you, your mom and all of your family His peace.

Carole

Carole,

Hi. Thanks for your prayers and story about your grandmother. It did make me feel a little better. I only received 2 replies to this discussion so I am wondering if my mom, is indeed, the only one on this support group who suffered a stroke during clipping. As far as my mom's prognosis goes:Every doctor(and we have many)seems to have a different opinion. It becomes hard to distinguish which doc is giving you the right/wrong information, if there is any info that is actually right or wrong! Every individual's recovery is different so it is hard for them to say what my mom will and will not get back. Many believe that what a person gets back in 6 months is pretty much what they will get back. I personally believe in neuroplasticity, which I think I have to, because it gives me hope. Thank you again for your kind words.

Hi kathleen...Gosh ... your feelings are so normal...for everything you see your mom going through...unfortunately, stroke is something we all sorta know that can happen when we have surgery on our aneurysm's...your mom is really early in her healing journey...and many people do good in time from strokes with lots of Physical therapy... so your mother can and should be encouraged that she can improve...however, like many of us Survivors, it is different for us after the aneursym and the surgery...

Gotcha in my prayers ~ Colleen

Hi Kathleen,

I'm so glad to read that you believe in neuroplasticity. Your belief in it will be a big encourager to your mother. I hope she is a fighter, too and that she has coverages that will allow her to get good physical and occupational therapy

Re: the six month timeline. One of my church members had a double stroke about 8 years ago. He struggled in his recovery and regained abilities over a several year period. He recently succumbed to other health issues. That he was successful in regaining his speech and his ability to ride his bike for distances of 20 miles or more (which he'd been able to do before the stroke) were celebrated at this services.

May God give you and your family the strength you need to help your mom maximize her recovery.

Carole