You had a brain aneurysm. An aneurysm is a weak area in the wall of a blood vessel that bulges or balloons out. Once it reaches a certain size, it has a high risk of bursting. It can leak blood and cause a stroke or bleeding along the surface of the brain (also called a subarachnoid hemorrhage).
You may have had surgery to prevent bleeding or to treat the aneurysm after it bled. The two types of surgery are:
If you had bleeding before, during, or after surgery you may have some short- or long-term neurological problems. These may be mild or severe. For many people, these problems will decrease over time or go away.
If you had either type of surgery you may:
What to expect after craniotomy and placement of a clip:
See also: Brain surgery (craniotomy) - discharge
What to expect after endovascular repair:
You may be able to start daily activities, such as driving a car, within 1 or 2 weeks if you did not have any bleeding. Ask your doctor for advice.
Make plans to have help at home while you recover.
Follow a healthy lifestyle. If you have high blood pressure, keep it under control. Do not smoke. If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about when it is okay to start again. Ask your doctor when it is okay to start sexual activity.
Take your seizure medicine if any was prescribed for you. Your doctor may refer you to a speech, physical, or occupational therapist to help you recover from any brain damage.
If the doctor put a catheter in through your groin (endovascular surgery), it is okay to walk short distances on a flat surface. Limit going up and down stairs to around 2 times a day for 2 to 3 days. Do not do yard work, drive, or play sports for at least 2 days -- or when your doctor says it is okay to do so.
Your doctor or nurse will tell you when your dressing should be changed. Do not take a bath or swim for 1 week. If you have bleeding, lie down and put pressure on the incision site for 30 minutes.
Call your doctor if you have:
Also, call your doctor if you have:
Aneurysm repair - cerebral - discharge; Cerebral aneurysm repair - discharge; Coiling - discharge; Saccular aneurysm repair - discharge; Berry aneurysm repair - discharge; Fusiform aneurysm repair - discharge; Dissecting aneurysm repair - discharge; Endovascular aneurysm repair - discharge
Bederson JB, Connolly ES Jr, Batjer HH, Dacey RG, Dion JE, Diringer MN, Duldner JE Jr, Harbaugh RE, Patel AB, Rosenwasser RH; American Heart Association. Guidelines for the management of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a statement for healthcare professionals from a special writing group of the Stroke Council, American Heart Association. Stroke. 2009 Mar;40(3):994-1025. Epub 2009 Jan 22. Review. Erratum in: Stroke. 2009 Jul;40(7):e518.
Meyers PM, Schumacher HC, Higashida RT, Barnwell SL, Creager MA, Gupta R, McDougall CG, Pandey DK, Sacks D, Wechsler LR; American Heart Association. Indications for the performance of intracranial endovascular neurointerventional procedures: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention, Stroke Council, Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia, Interdisciplinary Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease, and Interdisciplinary Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research. Circulation. 2009 Apr 28;119(16):2235-49. Epub 2009 Apr 6.
Patterson JT, Hanbali F, Franklin RL, Nauta HJW. Neurosurgey. In: Townsend CM, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 72.
Updated by: Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; and Jennifer K. Mannheim, ARNP, Medical Staff, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Seattle Children's Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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