Brain aneurysm, what to do ?


My mother has had two aneurysms clipped at the RVI as well. Both successfully after a stroke.
Scary like. No guarantees with vital organs but you have to trust the Doctors I suppose.
Yeah completely agree we had a granddaughter who had a form of neuroblastoma and obviously a lot of time was spent at the RVI, she died aged 5 about 8 years ago now but not for the lack of trying to save her by the staff at the RVI
Bloody hell. Sorry to hear that mate but you will have seen they go above and beyond there.
 
Bloody hell you've been through the mill.
Am I correct about the clipping procedure ? Do they actually open you up to gain access to the aneurysm ?
And the mesh sleeve I assume goes in the vein at the point of the aneurysm and then stops any blood getting into it ?
It depends it really does. Every case is different. I had a brain haemorrhage, they went through the vein in my leg and stopped the bleeding with the coil.
Whilst there they discovered I had 5 aneurysms. 3 that are unworkable but two that could be treated.
Six month after the coil I went in and had micro surgery where they drill through the skull and clip the aneurysm.
Six month later I went and had the vein thing and another coil fitted to another aneurysm.
You are awake for the vein one.

My man had a stroke and has had two treated with the sleeve method.

My only advice would be to be prepared for delays. Not so much me but my mam was gowned up ready to several times but her ops had to be cancelled because of emergencies. It’s a small but very busy unit. Obviously car crashes keep them busy.
Yeah completely agree we had a granddaughter who had a form of neuroblastoma and obviously a lot of time was spent at the RVI, she died aged 5 about 8 years ago now but not for the lack of trying to save her by the staff at the RVI
Sorry to hear that mate.
 
I knew I would find someone on here who had/has 1st hand experience. 👍👍
She had a scan for a throat problem which thankfully has cleared up but the scan showed up the aneurysm (apparently there are shit loads of folk who unknowingly have them).
Anyway it's 6-7mm, the position I would have to check the neurosurgeons report however I'm currently in the pub.
He has told her to carry on life as normal which is encouraging but the options are monitoring (like your missus) or the choice of 2 procedures, 1 is clipping the aneurysm I believe this is actually going in, removing part of the skull to get to it or whatever ? The other option is through a vein in the leg where they send "coils" whatever they are up the vein and fill the aneurysm with them.
His report quotes all the % risks of the 2 options from death to minor or major stroke etc, however he also quotes the % risk of the aneurysm bursting if left and as she gets older that risk increases.
How does our situation compare with yours ? If you'd rather not reveal the nitty gritty details publicly that's fine 👍

In addition they will want to control her blood pressure as if that is high it would be worse for the aneurysm

Its worth asking the surgeon what he would advise if it was his missus that had it
 
In addition they will want to control her blood pressure as if that is high it would be worse for the aneurysm

Its worth asking the surgeon what he would advise if it was his missus that had it
Funny you should say that as I said exactly the same thing. She had a telephone consultation with him a couple of weeks back and obviously it's a lot to take in as well as a bit of a shock when he's telling her all the finer details. Afterwards I said you should have asked him if it was his wife what would he advise her to do, but hindsight and all that.
One of the good things is our lass has always had low blood pressure, whenever she's had her blood pressure taken its " Your blood pressures a bit low mind" then she tells them it's been like that since she can remember.
It depends it really does. Every case is different. I had a brain haemorrhage, they went through the vein in my leg and stopped the bleeding with the coil.
Whilst there they discovered I had 5 aneurysms. 3 that are unworkable but two that could be treated.
Six month after the coil I went in and had micro surgery where they drill through the skull and clip the aneurysm.
Six month later I went and had the vein thing and another coil fitted to another aneurysm.
You are awake for the vein one.

My man had a stroke and has had two treated with the sleeve method.

My only advice would be to be prepared for delays. Not so much me but my mam was gowned up ready to several times but her ops had to be cancelled because of emergencies. It’s a small but very busy unit. Obviously car crashes keep them busy.

Sorry to hear that mate.
Thanks for all that, some good info to take away and digest.
There's me worrying over 1 and you've had/have 5. To be fair your experience gives me optomisim at the end of the day your still here, and ya mar 👍👍
 
Last edited:
Funny you should say that as I said exactly the same thing. She had a telephone consultation with him a couple of weeks back and obviously it's a lot to take in as well as a bit of a shock when he's telling her all the finer details. Afterwards I said you should have asked him if it was his wife what would he advise her to do, but hindsight and all that.
One of the good things is our lass has always had low blood pressure, whenever she's had her blood pressure taken its " Your blood pressures a bit low mind" then she tells them it's been like that since she can remember.

Thanks for all that, some good info to take away and digest.
There's me worrying over 1 and you've had/have 5. To be fair your experience gives me optomisim at the end of the day your still here, and ya mar 👍👍
I asked the doctor about my other aneurysms rupture. He said in a wonderful reassuring but rather blunt deep Indian voice. “Don’t worry you go out like light!”
 
I have an ascending thoracic dilation (main artery from the heart to the brain) . Its around 5.5 cm and its monitored once a year.. Thankfully its unchanged in 6 years
If and when it needs attention Artery Is wrapped in some sort of medical Goretex. To be honest I don't dwell or think about it, as if it ruptures I be dead in less than a minute and wouldn't really know owt about it. 😐
 
I knew I would find someone on here who had/has 1st hand experience. 👍👍
She had a scan for a throat problem which thankfully has cleared up but the scan showed up the aneurysm (apparently there are shit loads of folk who unknowingly have them).
Anyway it's 6-7mm, the position I would have to check the neurosurgeons report however I'm currently in the pub.
He has told her to carry on life as normal which is encouraging but the options are monitoring (like your missus) or the choice of 2 procedures, 1 is clipping the aneurysm I believe this is actually going in, removing part of the skull to get to it or whatever ? The other option is through a vein in the leg where they send "coils" whatever they are up the vein and fill the aneurysm with them.
His report quotes all the % risks of the 2 options from death to minor or major stroke etc, however he also quotes the % risk of the aneurysm bursting if left and as she gets older that risk increases.
How does our situation compare with yours ? If you'd rather not reveal the nitty gritty details publicly that's fine 👍
Fairly similar, overall, except my missus is much younger (I assume, given your comments about grandkids) and her aneurysm is a bit smaller and located such that clipping isn't a real option unless things start looking worse. We didn't face a difficult decision to do nothing but monitor for now. Most people who have them will never know it and the aneurysms never really change over the course of their lives. Fingers crossed you two are in that boat, and best to you.
 
Can vouch for the brilliant staff at both the Freeman and RVI. I have flitted between the two for a number of years now. Currently just in the watch at wait phase of 3 (known) paraganglioma tumours. One in the skull base near the 8th cranial nerve bundle and bi-lateral in left and right cartoid bodies. I get annual MRI, Ultrasound and bloods + have had Nuclear MIBG scans.

No sign of any metastases but monitoring. The head of neuro surgery at the RVI (John Crossman) was wanting to go old school resection surgery on the skull base but fortunately two other doctors on the multi disciplinary team intervened and insisted that I was given the choice of coming under their care. That was Paula Mulvenna at the Freeman northern centre for cancer care. She gave me the option of fractionated steriotactic radio-surgery if and when required which I very gladly accepted (after hearing the list of potential/probable co morbidities arising from the surgery option), the folk and kit in that unit at the Freeman are fantastic. I've been back at the RVI for a while now for my scans etc, staff are generally great too.
 
Last edited:
Anyone on here had a brain aneurysm, or had someone close to them had a one ?
Preferably of a size where you were given options as what to do going forward and if so what did you decide ?


Had one 3 bit weeks ago mate a Subarachnoid hemorrhage mini stoke thing.
 
Anyone on here had a brain aneurysm, or had someone close to them had a one ?
Preferably of a size where you were given options as what to do going forward and if so what did you decide ?
My partner had one rupture scary at the time they blocked it off with a platinum coil,,amazing what they can do when you think of the size of the veins went in through her groin and up into her brain.She suffers from epilepsy now but thats due to the bleed and the scarring on the brain.They are mointoring another two and when they say she needs a op she will have it done more scared of scans than the operation.
 
Sorry to hear this and I can’t be of any help.

This might sound silly but there is a programme on Channel 5 called 999 critical condition, I have watched loads of episodes and there’s been quite a few where they treat a brain Aneurism and show you exactly how it’s done. I think there was on on 2 weeks ago so you might find the episode if you wanted to watch it. Everyone I’ve ever seen with Brain surgery has always been a success.
Best of luck to yous all.
 
In addition they will want to control her blood pressure as if that is high it would be worse for the aneurysm

Its worth asking the surgeon what he would advise if it was his missus that had it
Aye this . As its not causing an impact on life it seems like its pretty much an odds thing ( but people look at life differently and want to take a chance to eliminate future risk i suppose) . The surgeon would know
Good luck mr and mrs @STUMPY 🤞👍
 
A tenant of mine had one , ruptured on way back from pub . Luckily was found in time and they operated on him .
Made full recovery which is great, plus he’s still paying rent which is a bonus !
Only you and you good missus can decide mate.
Hope whatever you decide goes well.
SMB at its finest. Some comforting sentiment and a little jest popped in for good measure.
 
I can remember Bobby Knoxall tell someone in the pub that he had an inoperable aneurism.
“They operated on mine like…” he added. 😄
 
Last edited:
There's some very brave quite matter of fact folk on here. I doubt if I ever had to face something like that either personally or a close relative I could cope as welll.

May I wish you all the very best of health for the future
 
My auntie dropped dead. My mam was saved fortunately, she then had another clipped. I was offered mapping but in case they were inoperable and as a hemophiliac this is only more likely, I decided ignorance was bliss.
If surgery was an option I'd go for it, I owe my life to surgery so I view it very positively.
Good luck with whatever you decide mate
 
Last edited:
There's some very brave quite matter of fact folk on here. I doubt if I ever had to face something like that either personally or a close relative I could cope as welll.

May I wish you all the very best of health for the future

Was thinking exactly that myself. Total respect for them.
 
I had a 30mm one coiled 4 and a half years ago. I never knew I had it but I did have weird symptoms for a few months inc high BP but only got diagnosed when I ended up in hospital xmas eve after nearly a week of excruciating pain and sickness and problems with my eyes. Luckily for me it didn’t rupture but it was what they called massive. I had it filled with 21 platinum coils (while awake) not a pleasant experience!

I am fine now but I do have a tiny one on the other side which is being monitored. They will only treat it if it starts to grow and I can have the coils as there’d be no blood going to my head and I’d die 😊

It IS a scary thing but you learn to live with it and I don’t really think about it anymore.

There’s some groups on Facebook you both could join if you’re on there. Loads of support and advice.
 
Last edited:
I have an ascending thoracic dilation (main artery from the heart to the brain) . Its around 5.5 cm and its monitored once a year.. Thankfully its unchanged in 6 years
If and when it needs attention Artery Is wrapped in some sort of medical Goretex. To be honest I don't dwell or think about it, as if it ruptures I be dead in less than a minute and wouldn't really know owt about it. 😐
Seriously 5.5cm ? That's huge, over 2 inches. Hopefully it remains stable for the rest of your natch 👍👍 Brother's a paramedic and he explained how serious a burst on the heart artery is, best of luck to you 👍👍
Had one 3 bit weeks ago mate a Subarachnoid hemorrhage mini stoke thing.
You doing OK though ?
I had a 30mm one coiled 4 and a half years ago. I never knew I had it but I did have weird symptoms for a few months inc high BP but only got diagnosed when I ended up in hospital xmas eve after nearly a week of excruciating pain and sickness and problems with my eyes. Luckily for me it didn’t rupture but it was what they called massive. I had it filled with 21 platinum coils (while awake) not a pleasant experience!

I am fine now but I do have a tiny one on the other side which is being monitored. They will only treat it if it starts to grow and I can have the coils as there’d be no blood going to my head and I’d die 😊

It IS a scary thing but you learn to live with it and I don’t really think about it anymore.

There’s some groups on Facebook you both could join if you’re on there. Loads of support and advice.
30mm !!! Jesus wept blows my mind that, good to hear your doing OK 👍
 
Last edited:
Seriously 5.5cm ? That's huge, over 2 inches. Hopefully it remains stable for the rest of your natch 👍👍 Brother's a paramedic and he explained how serious a burst on the heart artery is, best of luck to you 👍👍

You doing OK though ?

30mm !!! Jesus wept blows my mind that, good to hear your doing OK 👍
Got a feeling 5.5mm. My worst is 9mm. But been stable for a while now.
 

Back
Top