What is brain aneurysm endovascular procedure?

A brain aneurysm is a bulging, weak part of a blood vessel. It can put pressure on nerves. And it can bleed or break open (rupture).

A brain aneurysm can be repaired with a procedure. This procedure can prevent strokes, bleeding, and brain damage.

The doctor makes a cut in your groin or wrist and inserts a small plastic tube (a catheter) through the cut. The doctor gently guides the catheter through the blood vessel to the brain aneurysm. Then the doctor uses a tool, such as a coil, to fill up or block the opening to the aneurysm. This prevents blood from getting into the aneurysm. Then the doctor removes the catheter.

You may get medicine so you will be asleep during the procedure. Or you may be awake, but you will not feel pain.

You will probably stay in the hospital for 1 or 2 days. You may be able to go back to work or your usual routine in 3 to 7 days. But it could take 1 month to fully recover.

Activity

• Do not do strenuous exercise and do not lift, pull, or push anything heavy until your doctor says it is okay. This may be for several days. You can walk around the house and do light activity, such as cooking.
• If the catheter was placed in your groin, try not to walk up stairs for the first couple of days.
• If the catheter was placed in your wrist, do not bend your wrist deeply for the first couple of days. Be careful using your hand to get into and out of a chair or bed.
• Rest when you feel tired. Getting enough sleep will help you recover.

Diet

• Follow your doctor's orders about how much fluid you should drink after the procedure.
• You can eat your normal diet. If your stomach is upset, try bland, low-fat foods like plain rice, broiled chicken, toast, and yogurt.

Medicines

• Your doctor will tell you if and when you can restart your medicines. Your doctor will also give you instructions about taking any new medicines.
• If you stopped taking aspirin or some other blood thinner, your doctor will tell you when to start taking it again.
• Be safe with medicines. Take pain medicines exactly as directed.
  • If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
  • If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine.
• If you think your pain medicine is making you sick to your stomach:
  • Take your medicine after meals (unless your doctor has told you not to).
  • Ask your doctor for a different pain medicine.

Care of the catheter site

• If you have strips of tape on the cut (incision) the doctor made, leave the tape on for a week or until it falls off.
• Put ice or a cold pack on the area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time to help with soreness or swelling. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.
• You may shower 24 to 48 hours after the procedure, if your doctor okays it. Pat the incision dry.
• Do not soak the incision until it is healed. Don't take a bath for 1 week, or until your doctor tells you it is okay.
• Watch for bleeding from the incision. A small amount of blood (up to the size of a quarter) on the bandage can be normal.
• If you are bleeding, lie down and press on the area for 15 minutes to try to make it stop. If the bleeding does not stop, call your doctor or seek immediate medical care.

Procedures can be stressful. This information will help you understand what you can expect. And it will help you safely prepare for your procedure.

Preparing for the procedure

• Be sure you have someone to take you home. Anesthesia and pain medicine will make it unsafe for you to drive or get home on your own.
• Understand exactly what procedure is planned, along with the risks, benefits, and other options.
• Tell your doctor ALL the medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies you take. Some may increase the risk of problems during your procedure. Your doctor will tell you if you should stop taking any of them before the procedure and how soon to do it.
• If you take a medicine that prevents blood clots, your doctor may tell you to stop taking it before your procedure. Or your doctor may tell you to keep taking it. (These medicines include aspirin and other blood thinners.) Make sure that you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to do.
• Make sure your doctor and the hospital have a copy of your advance directive. If you don’t have one, you may want to prepare one. It lets others know your health care wishes. It’s a good thing to have before any type of surgery or procedure.

An aneurysm is a bulging, weak section of a blood vessel. Sometimes aneurysms put pressure on nerves. They can also bleed or break open (rupture). A procedure can repair an aneurysm in your brain. This can prevent strokes, bleeding, and brain damage.

During the procedure, the doctor made a small cut (incision) in your groin or wrist. The doctor put a small tube (catheter) through the incision and used X-ray equipment to guide the catheter to the aneurysm in your brain. Then the doctor used a tool, such as a coil, to block the opening to the aneurysm. This prevents blood from entering the aneurysm.

You may feel tired for a few days after the procedure. You'll probably be able to return to work or your normal routine in 3 to 7 days. You may have some bruising around the incision, but you should not have much pain. If you do have pain, your doctor may recommend or prescribe pain medicines.

Your doctor will regularly check the site of your aneurysm. Some people need to have this procedure more than once.

The doctor first numbs an area of your groin or wrist and makes a small cut (incision). Then the doctor uses a needle to put a small plastic tube through the cut and into a blood vessel. The tube is called a catheter. Using X-ray equipment, the doctor gently guides the catheter through the blood vessel to your brain aneurysm.

Then the doctor uses a tool, such as a coil, to fill up or block the opening to the aneurysm. This prevents blood from getting into the aneurysm. Then the doctor removes the catheter and puts a small bandage on the incision.

• Follow the instructions exactly about when to stop eating and drinking. If you don't, your procedure may be canceled. If your doctor told you to take your medicines on the day of the procedure, take them with only a sip of water.
• Take a bath or shower before you come in for your procedure. Do not apply lotions, perfumes, deodorants, or nail polish.
• Do not shave the incision site yourself.
• Take off all jewelry and piercings. And take out contact lenses, if you wear them.

At the hospital or surgery center

• Bring a picture ID.
• You will be kept comfortable and safe by your anesthesia provider. The anesthesia may make you sleep. Or it may just numb the area being worked on.
• The procedure usually takes about 2 hours.
• After the procedure, pressure may be applied to the area where the catheter was put in your blood vessel. This will help prevent bleeding. A small device may also be used to close the blood vessel. The area may be covered with a bandage or a compression device.
• Nurses will check your heart rate and blood pressure. The nurse will also check the catheter site for bleeding.
• If the catheter was put in your groin, you will need to lie still and keep your leg straight for up to a few hours. The nurse may put a weighted bag on your leg to keep it still.
• If the catheter was put in your wrist, you may be able to sit up. But you will need to keep your arm still for at least one hour.
• You may have a bruise or a small lump where the catheter was put in your blood vessel. This is normal and will go away.