Panama Medical Vacations
Coil and Stent for Brain Aneurysm Treatments
An aneurysm is commonly known as a weakening and expanding of a portion of a blood vessel. It typically looks like a balloon full of blood located on one side of a vessel. These arterial defects can lead to stroke or death when they burst. Aneurysms typically go undetected until complications develop. These can include: hemorrhaging, weakness, numbness or other loss of nerve function. Standard treatments for a brain aneurysm are either cranial surgery where the vessel is clipped or coil embolization where a coil is inserted through a catheter in the groin to the area where bleeding can then be controlled. Because of the non-invasive nature, coil procedures have become extremely attractive alternatives and the best alternative for having a coil and stent surgery for brain aneurysms is Hospital Punta Pacifica in Panama City, Panama.
The Procedure
Coiling and stenting are performed by a neuroradiologist or endovascular surgeon. An incision is used in the groin to provide access the artery and to allow a catheter to be inserted and guided up to the brain. This process is guided with the use of computer-aided X-ray scanners.
Once the catheter is in place, a contrast dye is added to the bloodstream in order to make the artery and the aneurysm clearly visible and to aid in obtaining good images. The characteristics of the aneurysm, including shape, size and exact location, are determined and recorded; this part of the procedure is similar to an angiogram.
A stent is first placed around the neck of the aneurysm; once expanded the stent provides stability and allows the coils to be passed through the safely. A microcatheter is then introduced through the larger catheter and used to place coils into the aneurysm. The coils are placed inside of the aneurysm, partially filing it. Blood cells are trapped in this mesh and clot in a process called "thrombosis", which seals off the aneurysm from the artery circulation.
After your surgery
Because of the potential for damage both from an aneurysm and its corrective surgery, after care for this surgery can vary greatly. In cases where there are hemorrhages, it is not uncommon that the patient is in the hospital for 10 days to 2 weeks with extensive rehabilitation following.
Risks
Any surgery concerning the brain is considered high risk. The risks of this procedure are the same as the standard brain aneurysm coil surgery include:
- Weakness or paralysis of an arm or a leg
- Difficulty with speech or understanding
- Vision impairment
- Confusion, memory loss and/or seizures
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Kidney damage from X-ray dyes