Brain Aneurysm Management with Ashkan Mowla, MD

In general, aneurysms are only detected after they have burst although they may sometimes be detected during the course of other tests. Operating on the arteries of the brain may feel scary but there have been tremendous advances in the way that aneurysms are surgically treated. The interventional neuroradiologist has several options for treating the aneurysm from the inside of the blood vessel based on the patient’s status. These kinds of surgery, called endovascular neurosurgery or embolization, are performed using the minimally invasive microcatheter-based approach mentioned earlier. In this way, aneurysms can be treated by coiling, stent coiling, flow diversion, or balloon remodeling. In all these methods, the aim is to prevent blood from pooling in the aneurysm and causing blood clots. The deposited wire coils or cages help to cut off the blood’s access to the aneurysm so that it can flow normally through the blood vessel.