Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 11/24/2009
Despite advances in microsurgery, anesthetic techniques, and critical care, the morbidity and mortality rates of SAH remains high at 25–35% and 40–50%, respectively. Age and neurologic status on hospital admission continue to be the best...
predictors of outcome.
In contrast, the operative mortality rate for elective clipping is close to 0, with morbidity ranging between 0% and 10%, especially if the surgeon is experienced in the procedure and utilizes the latest microsurgical techniques. In this situation, morbidity is most closely related to aneurysm size and location. Generally, elective clipping of an unruptured aneurysm is associated with better outcomes than ruptured aneurysms because the brain has not been damaged by the SAH prior to the procedure.
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An artist's representation of what nerves and nerve bundles look like at the microscopic level. It also shows how the anatomy of a nerve allows it to transmit electrical signals and communicate with other neurons (nerves).
To repair a cerebral aneurysm by craniotomy, an incision is made in the skin on the side of the head (A). Small holes are drilled in the skull (B), and a special saw is used to cut the bone between the holes (C). The bone is removed (D), and the aneurysm is treated (E). The bone is replaced, and the skin is sutured closed (F). (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
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Definition
Cerebral aneurysm repair involves corrective treatment of an abnormal blood-filled sac formed by localized expansion of an artery or vein within the brain. These sacs tend to form at the juncture between a primary vessel and a branch. If the vessel involved is an artery, the lesion is also known as a berry aneurysm because of its round, berry-like appearance.
Purpose
The purpose of the surgical treatment of cerebral aneurysms is to isolate the weakened vessel area from the blood supply. This is commonly done through the strategic placement of small, surgical clips to the neck of the lesion. Thus, the aneurysm becomes isolated from the normal circulation without damaging adjacent vessels or their branches and shrinks in size to become undetectable, a process known as aneurysm obliteration.
Other Information
The total number of neurosurgeries performed in 2006 was estimated at 2,171,195. Of these, 1,345,167 spine-related were performed, equating to nearly 62 percent of the total.
From: AANS
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