I had the stent assisted coiling procedure last nov for an aneurysm found incedentaly. Since then, I’ve had 2 ct scans and 3 angios. I’ve been reading online about the risks of radiation with these procedures and having anxiety over this to the point that I’m regretting the procedure. My Annie was 11mm that grew really quickly in 7 years and the doctor said I HAD to have it done. Now I’m not so sure…
Is anyone else worried about this?
I haven’t done my procedure yet but I was told my follow up to stent and coils wold be 7 annual MRAs. I was happy to hear this since the MRI is not risky and the contrast they use is less harmful than the iodine used in angiogram. Not invasive either. Maybe you could ask about MRA instead.
I too worry about the same thing...but at this point and time...I am not sure how else to have my coils checked...since they haven't occluded...sometimes I feel like I radiate...I do hope PatOman writes to you. She has been doing some research on this particular subject ... and we really need to know more about all the radiation we each are exposed to...~ Colleen
Ebern...I saw Colleen's comment below ...on how she radiates...I have always said I glow...
We have so many things...to worry / fret in determining our decision to a procedure...
May I ask you how yours was "incidentally" found; e.g. the symptoms being tested for what?
Then, do I comprehend clearly....that it became 11mm after Seven Years of monitoring?
What size did it start at and what was the size change and the time between CT's / angios?
Because mine ruptured @ 6mm, I get squeaky about all the others I read/ hear about having 7mm and larger, like yours, before treatment...then, some others who had ruptures at 4mm and 5mm...
Was yours stent assisted...because you had a wide-neck aneurysm...or for what other reason?
I had coils and...stents...that were implanted off-label and off-record...a story for another time...
Ebern, you were/are blessed to have even been told of the stenting...
I have survived 10 years from the initial...five years since my last CT/A... there is a lot to the chapters...
From 02/19/13, I began asking "ask the doc" here on radiation on to contrast dye and more..-
In May 2013, a webinar on radiation was provided here...I was (am) unable to decipher the specifics of arteriography (angios)...which was the push of my initial questions on radiation...
I now understand that procedural (coil/stent implant) angios are higher in rad /contrast than in the diagnostic angios...Hopefully it will be confirmed by the experts on this site... sometime... some day...some year...
I have no expertise...just my experiences... and, survival...now of ten years...my "golden years" rusted thru by the platinumbing...and, the need for stents... Soon I will be posting an image or two here...
I have highly promoted "Two Books" here in this forum that are also listed on the BAF main site pages...
Again, prayers for your comfort and thank you for sharing data to help other newbies here...to add to their questions to their doctors to help them make their decisions...of which and when...
Pat
Jo...and to all others who may be reading this...
"An angio"... typically relates to four beginning in the diagnostic angio; two in each hemisphere... then changes to, adds on the "one" for the treatment...sometimes more than one...
More angios can/may be added based on any other id'd potential aneurysm/other issue...of the initial diagnostics...i.e. those needing stents...can/may occur during the procedural treatment (implants) ...causing a need to re-direct access...and, sometimes, to feed in the micro-ballooning...
Then, each angio has space for Series 1 to Series 9...any amount can/may be used...Each Series can/may have from 1 to 120 images...
What we, at least I, cannot get is where the noted volumes of radiation are based...the number of each image, each Series, or just "the angio"...which sounds so minimally irradiated to support the minimally invasive procedures...
I can only suggest to an attorney / leader...my concerns of non-clearly defined levels of radiation in which portions of an angio...each image, each series, each angio, or all angios per procedure...back to the variance in the rad level of a procedural angio vs a diagnostic angio...
Getting to MRA vs MRI...A is an angio image...my limited thought process suggests angios have to be run by radiation...presumably, it seems magnetized film around us could likely get sticky...
It is renowned that gadolinium, the contrast used for MRAs had class actions, lawsuits and the FDA required an updated "Warning" in the patient labeling...
Thanks for keeping me smiling...otherwise I might get too sticky from my moaning and whining...
Hugs,
Pat
I had coiling July 2012 and my dr doesn't do angios he does MRA 1st year, second year and 5th year and up to me after that. Still haven't had the first one done yet.
Deanna
You can't really compare the risk of radiation with the risk of a ruptured brain aneurysm if you don't have the procedure. Radiation risk is cumulative. Rupture risk could be immediate and devastating. I have had 4 angios, the coiling procedure and 4 CT scans. I agree with Liam 100%. I will worry about the risk of radiation if and when it becomes an issue.
Thank you everyone for the responses. I have general anxiety along with hypochondria…so these things freak me out. You really helped me feel a little better. It’s just so weird having this major surgery for something I had no symptoms for…now I’m reading about all the risks of radiation. Pat- I had no symptoms, just an MRI for sinuses. Liam-thank u so, so much for that link. I read that we shouldn’t exceed 5000 rpm (?), and mine is just under that.