 |
|
New Non-Surgical Approach Showing Great Promise in the Treatment of Challenging Brain Aneurysms
September 20, 2005(CHICAGO)-A fender-bender may have saved Douglas Collins' life. A CT scan following the accident discovered Collins, 64, had a brain aneurysm, a weakness in the arterial wall that if ruptured could cause a stroke or death. It was not caused by the accident, but likely could have been a ticking time bomb present for years. The aneurysm was large and previously thought to require open surgery and a lengthy recovery.
A second opinion brought Collins to Rush University Medical Center and Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch (CINN) neuroendovascular specialist Dr. Demetrius Lopes. Lopes recommended a new approach combining the use of intracranial stents and coil embolization to strengthen the artery with no need to open the skull. Dr. Lopes is one of the most experienced physicians in the world with this new technique.
"Obviously, why would I want to undergo a long recovery period if I don't have to," said Collins. "I chose to have Dr. Lopes perform the procedure and it was a complete success. I was back on the golf course within days."
Until recently, people like Collins with wide-necked aneurysms in the brain would not have been candidates for coil embolization, a procedure in which tiny coils are used to close off the aneurysm. To deliver the coils to the aneurysm, a catheter is inserted into the femoral artery, located in the upper leg, and threaded through the artery and into the blood vessels of the brain.
Historically, if the aneurysm was more than 4mm, the "wide neck" of the aneurysm prevented the coil from staying in place on its own and the aneurysm was very likely to return. The recent introduction of flexible intracranial stents has provided a method of preventing the coil from migrating out of wide-necked aneurysms. Therefore, more patients can undergo minimally invasive interventions to repair their cerebral aneurysms.
The initial treatment stage involves placement of the stent in the artery across the aneurysm neck. A microcathether is navigated through the stent struts into the aneurysm sac. The second stage consists of filling the aneurysm with coils. The stent works as a scaffold preventing the coils from migrating out of the wide neck aneurysm. The body responds by forming a blood clot around the coils and new tissue growth around the stent strengthening the weak spot in the artery.
A study by Lopes, published in the January issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery, found that in 90 percent of his patients, the stent-assisted coil resulted in complete closure of the aneurysm without compromising the parent vessel at least six months after the procedure.
"Our results are encouraging because they demonstrate that devices like the intracranial stent will continue to not only improve our ability to treat challenging wide-necked aneurysms without opening the skull but also to have a significant impact on re-treatment rates" said Lopes.
Coil embolization is currently used to treat approximately 30 percent of cerebral aneurysms. The procedure is less invasive and requires significantly less recovery time than open surgery for aneurysm repair. Additional benefits include minimal blood loss and the option for local anesthesia. Patients who did not have a ruptured aneurysm prior to treatment may be able to leave the hospital the day after the procedure and return to their normal routine within days.
Collins returned to the hospital four months after his procedure for additional tests to make sure there was no leakage. The results showed the stent-assisted coil embolization was a success.
"I am very pleased with the results," said Collins. "I have no limits and I'm enjoying life to it's fullest."
Rush University Medical Center is an academic medical center that encompasses the 600 staffed-bed hospital (including Rush Children's Hospital), the Johnston R. Bowman Health Center and Rush University. Rush University, with more than 1,270 students, is home to one of the first medical schools in the Midwest, and one of the nation's top-ranked nursing colleges. Rush University also offers graduate programs in allied health and the basic sciences. Rush is noted for bringing together clinical care and research to address major health problems, including arthritis and orthopedic disorders, cancer, heart disease, mental illness, neurological disorders and diseases associated with aging.
The Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch is one of the nation's leading organizations for the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of people with brain and spine disorders. Originally founded in 1987, CINN is the Midwest's largest team of neurosurgeons known for their pioneering treatments in minimally invasive techniques. Through a network of seven hospitals spanning two states, CINN treats more patients with brain tumors and spine disorders than any other physician group in Illinois.
Rush University Medical Center
Until recently, people like Collins with wide-necked aneurysms in the brain would not have been candidates for coil embolization, a procedure in which tiny coils are used to close off the aneurysm. To deliver the coils to the aneurysm, a catheter is inserted into the femoral artery, located in the upper leg, and threaded through the artery and into the blood vessels of the brain.
Historically, if the aneurysm was more than 4mm, the "wide neck" of the aneurysm prevented the coil from staying in place on its own and the aneurysm was very likely to return. The recent introduction of flexible intracranial stents has provided a method of preventing the coil from migrating out of wide-necked aneurysms. Therefore, more patients can undergo minimally invasive interventions to repair their cerebral aneurysms.
The initial treatment stage involves placement of the stent in the artery across the aneurysm neck. A microcathether is navigated through the stent struts into the aneurysm sac. The second stage consists of filling the aneurysm with coils. The stent works as a scaffold preventing the coils from migrating out of the wide neck aneurysm. The body responds by forming a blood clot around the coils and new tissue growth around the stent strengthening the weak spot in the artery.
A study by Lopes, published in the January issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery, found that in 90 percent of his patients, the stent-assisted coil resulted in complete closure of the aneurysm without compromising the parent vessel at least six months after the procedure.
"Our results are encouraging because they demonstrate that devices like the intracranial stent will continue to not only improve our ability to treat challenging wide-necked aneurysms without opening the skull but also to have a significant impact on re-treatment rates" said Lopes.
Coil embolization is currently used to treat approximately 30 percent of cerebral aneurysms. The procedure is less invasive and requires significantly less recovery time than open surgery for aneurysm repair. Additional benefits include minimal blood loss and the option for local anesthesia. Patients who did not have a ruptured aneurysm prior to treatment may be able to leave the hospital the day after the procedure and return to their normal routine within days.
Collins returned to the hospital four months after his procedure for additional tests to make sure there was no leakage. The results showed the stent-assisted coil embolization was a success.
"I am very pleased with the results," said Collins. "I have no limits and I'm enjoying life to it's fullest."
Rush University Medical Center is an academic medical center that encompasses the 600 staffed-bed hospital (including Rush Children's Hospital), the Johnston R. Bowman Health Center and Rush University. Rush University, with more than 1,270 students, is home to one of the first medical schools in the Midwest, and one of the nation's top-ranked nursing colleges. Rush University also offers graduate programs in allied health and the basic sciences. Rush is noted for bringing together clinical care and research to address major health problems, including arthritis and orthopedic disorders, cancer, heart disease, mental illness, neurological disorders and diseases associated with aging.
The Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch is one of the nation's leading organizations for the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of people with brain and spine disorders. Originally founded in 1987, CINN is the Midwest's largest team of neurosurgeons known for their pioneering treatments in minimally invasive techniques. Through a network of seven hospitals spanning two states, CINN treats more patients with brain tumors and spine disorders than any other physician group in Illinois.
Rush University Medical Center
Rapid changes in key Alzheimer's protein described in humans
For the first time, researchers have described hour-by-hour changes in the amount of amyloid beta, a protein that is believed to play a key role in Alzheimer's disease, in the human brain.
Preclinical Study Links Gene to Brain Aneurysm Formation
University of Cincinnati (UC) neurovascular researchers have identified a gene that-when suppressed or completely absent-may predispose a person to brain aneurysms.
Results of clipping and coiling of aneurysms are similar over time
A study led by UCSF neurologist S. Claiborne Johnston, MD, has shown that coiling of ruptured brain aneurysms is very effective during long-term follow-up, similar to outcomes with surgical clipping.
Polycystic kidney disease: MRI provides an early alert to progression
A new method using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) accurately tracks structural changes that predict functional changes earlier than standard blood and urine tests in people with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD).
Gene variations linked to brain aneurysms
Variations in a gene seem to be linked to brain (cerebral) aneurysms, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
More Brain Aneurysms Current Events and Brain Aneurysms News Articles
 | The Brain Aneurysm by Vini G. Khurana, Robert F. Spetzler This book has been expertly written and illustrated for patients with brain aneurysms and their families and for physicians and paramedical professionals interested in learning more about this field. The book contains detailed information about the investigation and screening of brain aneurysms and critical chapters related to their treatment. A comprehensive section on coma caused by ruptured... |
 | Brain, Heal Thyself: A Caregiver's New Approach to Recovery from Stroke, Aneurysm, And Traumatic Brain Injuries by Madonna Siles, Lawrence J. Beuret When Eve suffered a near-fatal brain aneurysm, Madonna Siles, her housemate and friend, too quickly found herself making critical short- and long-term medical care decisions without any help. When the insurance and financial resources ran out and the conventional therapy providers discharged zombie-like Eve to the homecare of a solitary caregiver, both their futures seemed hopeless. Instead... |
 | Walking in Fear...How I was introduced to my Brain Aneurysms by Susan M. James |
 | Brain Aneurysms and Vascular Malformations by Eric S. Nussbaum, MD Eric S. Nussbaum As many as 1 in 20 people have a potentially lethal aneurysm or vascular malformation of the brain. What are these complex conditions? How are they diagnosed? How & when do you fix them? This book is written specifically for patients and family members to help them understand these... |
| Surgeon helping build neuroscience team at Memorial: Kim performs first brain aneurysm surgery done at Memorial in 15 years.(Healthcare Mississippi): An article from: Mississippi Business Journal by Lynn Lofton This digital document is an article from Mississippi Business Journal, published by Thomson Gale on June 29, 2006. The length of the article is 1004 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.Citation DetailsTitle:... | |
| Do coated or expanding coils optimize treatment of brain aneurysms, compared with bare platinum coils?(PRO & CON): An article from: Internal Medicine News by Tim Malisch, Randall T. Higashida This digital document is an article from Internal Medicine News, published by Thomson Gale on November 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1032 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.Citation DetailsTitle: Do... | |
 | Intracranial Vascular Malformations and Aneurysms: From Diagnostic Work-Up to Endovascular Therapy (Medical Radiology / Diagnostic Imaging) (Medical Radiology ... (Medical Radiology / Diagnostic Imaging) by M. Knaut This book describes the pathoanatomical, pathophysiological, and imaging features of vascular malformations and aneurysms of the brain and the modern, minimally invasive endovascular methods and techniques employed in their treatment. Individual chapters are devoted to developmental venous malformations, cavernomas and capillary telangiectasias, pial arteriovenous malformations, dural... |
| Family trauma: when her partner was rushed to the hospital with massive bleeding in the brain from an aneurysm, Janice Langbehn and their three kids weren't ... (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine) by Janice Langbehn This digital document is an article from The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine), published by Thomson Gale on October 9, 2007. The length of the article is 708 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web... | |
| Cerebral Aneurysms: Microvascular and Endovascular Management by Robert R. Smith, Yuri N. Zubkov, Yahgoub Tarassoli Surgical repair of cerebral aneurysms is a core aspect of neurosurgical practice. While open microvascular technique has dominated Western surgical practice, surgeons in the former USSR have developed endovascular techniques that have gained acceptance among surgeons here. This text demonstrates both surgical and endovascular approaches, written and illustrated by surgeons with vast experience in... | |
| Aneurysms and Arteriovenous Anomalies of the Brain by J L Pool, D G Potts |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |