McLaren's Stroke Program Now Offers Endovascular Embolization

Most brain aneurysms go unnoticed until they rupture causing a stroke, brain damage, coma or even death. A team of specialists at McLaren-Flint are working to prevent such unwelcome patient outcomes. Treating an aneurysm before it ruptures can be a life-saver. Now available at McLaren is an Interventional Lab where a procedure called endovascular embolization for cerebral aneurysm is being performed.

The first patient who underwent the specialized procedure was a man in his early sixties with a family history of cerebral aneurysms. He experienced the loss of two siblings and a parent to brain aneurysms. Fortunately, this patient's aneurysm was discovered, giving him additional treatment options.

After his Neurosurgeon, Aftab Karim, M.D., evaluated his medical history, he was referred to neuroradiologists Charles Guidot, M.D. and Gerald Farrar, M.D. It was determined the patient was a candidate for endovascular embolization or 'neuro coiling' as it is frequently referred to. Endovascular embolization provides an alternative to surgery. 

Endovascular embolization is a minimally-invasive procedure that accesses the treatment area from within the blood vessel while the patient is under anesthesia. During the procedure a catheter (hollow plastic tube) is inserted into an artery located in the groin and threaded through the vascular system to the aneurysm located in the brain using angiography, a procedure performed to view blood vessels in real-time. This imaging can take place once the patient is injected with radioopaque dye, providing an outline of the artery for the Neuroradiologist to view on x-ray. With the use of angiography, a guidewire with detachable spirals of platinum wire coils are passed through the catheter and released into the aneurysm. The coils fill the aneurysm, blocking it from circulation which causes the blood to clot, and destroy the aneurysm. The coils are made of platinum so they can be visible via x-ray and be flexible enough to conform to the aneurysm shape. The procedure for endovascular embolization or neuro coiling takes several hours to complete and may need to be performed more than once during the person's lifetime.

All cerebral aneurysms have the potential to rupture and cause bleeding within the brain. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke the incidence of reported ruptured aneurysm is most common in people between ages 30 and 60 years, occurring in close to 10 in every 100,000 persons or 27,000 individuals per year in the U.S. Potential risk factors for cerebral aneurysm rupture include hypertension, alcohol abuse, drug abuse (particularly cocaine), and smoking. The condition and size of the aneurysm also affects the risk of rupture within the brain.

McLaren's first Endovascular Embolization/ Coiling was a team effort. Many cath lab team members had prior experience in endovascular procedures. This experience, combined with a one-on-one review with Dr. Farrar, prepared them to be able to assist Doctors Farrar and Guidot.

The outcome for the patient looks very good and the cath lab staff is ready for future neuro coiling cases..

For more information on what causes cerebral aneurysms and how are they classified click here.

For more information on the symptoms of cerebral aneurysms click here

For more information on how cerebral aneurysms are diagnosed click here

For more information on how cerebral aneurysms are treated click here