Coil Treatment for a Brain Aneurysm

A brain aneurysm is a small protrusion in one of the arteries in the brain. The artery balloons out and fills with blood. If it ruptures, the blood can flood the brain or the space around the brain.

Endovascular Coiling

• Endovascular coiling is a process by which wire is inserted into the aneurysm in such a way that it coils up into a ball much like a ball of yarn, blocking further blood flow to the site of the rupture.

Fluoroscopic Imaging

• Rather than opening up the skull, a surgeon can use imaging technology like a moving X-ray to see exactly where an aneurysm is and how he needs to get to it to repair it.

Platinum Coil

• Platinum is used for the coil that will be inserted into the aneurysm. The metal platinum shows up on conventional X-rays and is flexible enough to fashion the coil without undue bunching or breaking.

Getting There

• The surgeon will insert a catheter into the femoral artery in the groin and then thread the platinum wire through until it gets to the aneurysm, where he can then ball it up to fill the rupture.

Trials

• A study, called the International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial, was discontinued because the results were 22.6 percent in favor of coiling over clipping for long-term results, and it was deemed irresponsible to continue using clips on the trial subjects.