Unruptured aneurysms

Would love to hear how many on here are watch and wait. For how long …what location and what si and what size

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Sorry didn’t finish and hadn’t edited. The question is for how long have you monitored , what size , what location would be very helpful for watc and wait folks like me . I have 2 on the internal rt carotid supraclnoid and it has been 7 years. Last MRA 2 years ago and know it is time again. Oh they were 3mm approximately

I have 2 in the same place 3 years now 2.5 mm . Last cta was this past July and all stayed the same . Keep me posted on yours. We’re yours always that size ? Mine were . My dr said they usually don’t grow . Hopefully that’s true .

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Have 3mm right internal carotid paraclinoid (?). CT Scan every year, for two years.

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Good Morning Kelly,

I have been diagnosed with a unruptured 3mm sacral aneurysm on the right side in December of last year,I am scheduled for another MRI this month. Sorry about the minimal details, but that is all I know right now. I get one done every year right now until I see the neurosurgeon in Feb 2016. My father has had them for 15yrs and no occurences thank god.They tried to coil his but they couldnt cause he was going numb as they started the procedure so they had to stop. He's 80 now and he has no issues ever.

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Kelly if you skip through this sight you will see many stories of waiting, especially under the PED group, because we have that option. Mine was a wide neck ( those cannot be coiled), it’s location, the carotid artery behind my right eye in was in operable.8 mm
I waited 8 years until the PED became available in the US. I had my surgery at Johns Hopkins.

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I have a 3mm opthalmic first diagnosed in April of this year so still a very nervous time for me. I’m scheduled to see them again in December but I think that’s just to arrange my next mri scan which I was told would be every 12 months as long as nothing changes.

I have 3mm unruptured don't remember where. Also had 7mm(?) on left Internal Carotid Artery coiled in 2005. Last angio july 2014. I thought I had angio every 5 years but when had one in 2014 it seemed that last one was just a few years ago.

Hi Kelly, I have an unruptured aneurysm; it is 7mm and I had it coiled....twice (because it compacted). The doctors told me when they found it that if it had been like 3mm then I could wait and watch but since mine was 7mm and kept having major issues, they said I need to have the surgery. I have read other's comments from when I was researching a while ago and most people around 3 to 4mm were told that they could wait and watch but if it got larger...that is when they would need surgery. But they would need to go to the dr's every 6 months for the first few times for 3d MRAs (and then yearly) so the aneurysms could be monitored to see if they have grown or not. So that is what I have researched and been told. I hope that helps you and good luck on your upcoming check up! I am sure you will be fine and it is good you are having it checked! Let us know how you do, ok? Just know you are not alone and you are in our thoughts and prayers! Sincerely, Courtney

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I have a total of 4 aneurysms, two are bilateral communicating arteries and the other two are bilateral choroidal arteries. One of the aneurysms on the communicating artery ruptured in October of 2012, which is when the other three were found, so I have had those monitored since then. They are about 2-3 mm and have not changed since then. So far I have had one angiogram and one MRI, and they test me once a year, to check the unruptured ones and to monitor the one that was coiled. So far everything is okay. At my last regular visit the doctor said MRIs are okay but angios are better for assessing the status, so probably next year I will have another angio. Good luck to everyone playing the waiting game.

35 year old Female. In August 2013 found 4mm wide neck on right internal carotid artery. Decided to watch and wait since one doctor said we could/should coil with stent, other doctor said, no need, watch and wait with MRI every year.

Personally, I have really struggled with whether to operate or not. It seems the lifetime risk of rupture vs. the immediate risk of complications from any intervention if we do it are about equal. Some days, I'm totally fine with it and feel like it will never be a problem and other days I'm terrified it will rupture while I'm driving on the highway with my 3 kids in the car...

How many expert opinions should I get and then do I just do an average of those go/no go on the intervention? For now, I'm just kicking the can down the road...I have a perfect excuse as I just gave birth to our 3rd child and since I'm breastfeeding would not be able to do the operation until I stop breastfeeding (due to post op drugs).

I'm in Boston and have seen the leading neurosurgeons at Beth Israel and Brigham and Women's.

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My aneurysm has been monitored since 2005. They are 5 and 7 mms. I am monitored every 1-2 years and everything seems ok.

2/2011 diagnosed with small 2-mm aneurysm of the left middle cerebral artery. Remains stable as of 9/2014. Yearly MR angiography exams with this year due in 12/2015.

In 2012 I found out that I have a 4 mm wide neck communicating artery aneurysm. I get yearly CTA scans. The last one was the same. I am due for another one soon. I try to keep my blood pressure down and continue to exercise. Frankly, I try not to think about it too much and go on and live my life.

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Hi Petra,

Petra, I understand your concerns completely. When I found out I had my 7mm aneurysm - I was actually looking to see what was wrong because I kept having horrible headaches, much worse than the migraines I always get. I had dizziness, my sight started to weaken, I was vomiting, it felt like someone was stabbing me in my neck and ears. I kept going to every dr. you can imagine and they all kept saying it was a migraine and go home. I knew something was wrong and then went to my neurologist with the list of everything that was happening and said something is wrong and they found it. So the point I am trying to make is that, my Dr. said that if the aneurysm is about 3 to 4mm and you get it checked with 3d MRAs every six months and then yearly that would have been fine. They told me that my aneurysm was giving me "warning leaks" that it was about to burst so that is why all those things were happening to me but mine was 7mm and I was having symptoms so that is why they said I need to have the operation asap. So with you, and I am NOT a dr., but I would say....I would wait but go to your Neurologist every 6 months for your 3d MRAs and then they will move you to yearly checkups - unless they see it growing. Petra, it is like this....you have the 3mm aneurysm but it is not giving you any symptoms. So many people are walking around with a 2 to 3mm aneurysm and they don't even know it because it has not given them any problems so nothing has been found. So, if you aren't having symptoms, my opinion is watch and wait. Because I know with me - if mine had been 3mm - I would watch and wait like the drs all told me. If you have the coiling done now (and you are not feeling symptoms) then the coiling can introduce things such as: headaches, ear aches, loss of smell or taste, some short term memory loss - I am not saying it would do these things but there could be a chance so why do that if you don't have any symptoms yet. Know what I mean? So for me, I would wait. Believe me, I checked with so many Dr.s and read as much as I could and the Drs said if mine had been 3 - 4mms then I should wait. All of this is just my opinion and what happened to me - I'm not a Dr. I hope this information is helpful and I am sure others can give you their opinion too!

Congratulations on your new baby and best wishes! Sincerely, Courtney

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In 1998, an MRI revealed that I had a giant aneurysm on the RMA in the brain. The giant was about 5cm in size. I asked the neurosurgeon if it could be left alone, and he said no. Surgery was scheduled for a month later, and the surgeon thought it would be all right to leave it that long. Although it ruptured during surgery, it was successfully clipped, and I’ve been all right since then.

David Andrus, Hamilton, Ontario

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Hi, I have a 2mm aneurysm on the ICA (ophthalmic artery?) It might be associated with an AVM that I had surgically repaired last year. If that's the case, it might or might not regress. I was supposed to have my one year follow up in the summer but might postpone it until after the holidays. So I technically haven't had my first re-check yet. May I ask how old you are? You don't have to answer. I'm 30 and it was discovered at 29 after AVM rupture. Congrats on making it 7 years! I hope you have another stable scan whenever you have it done! <3

I was told that craniotomy would be the best surgical option if I insisted on treatment. My surgeon was confident to have me wait a year instead of 6 months. I have now gone beyond a year and it's only making me more nervous. I'm scared of medical procedures and definitely scared that this aneurysm might have grown larger. I had a craniotomy last year for AVM resection. It went really well but I can't imaging having another one less than 2 years later. It just seems crazy. There's A LOT of reassuring information about unruptured aneurysms but it's hard to ever feel safe. We are not totally alone though

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Hey all , love all these responses… Sometimes when I get concerned( like when I know it is time to check) it is great to know that many others moniter too! So often on this sight it seems everyone is getting them fixed ! There is a woman named Carol who was often on this sight had monitored three for 30 years ish, maybe we will here from her! I really hope they just stay quiet . I am 63 now was 57 when found . They have been called paraclinoid supraclnoid opthamolic , but are on the right ica! My neurosurgeon originally told me I would have a stroke and not like him very much if he tried to fix them. That was all I needed to hear ! So please if I can answer any more ?s don’t hesitate to ask. Never had a angiogram just cta and mra. I also have a left temporal angioma that hasn’t changed either. Keep responding love the connection !! Kelly

I had a 7 clipped on right side in 2012 now have three more on left side…a 3mm and two 2mm blister ones…were watching and will be checked once a year.

What is a blister one and are they on the ica? Just curious . I am a year behind on my check up!