So I had my appointment last night with the neurologist who confirmed the aneurysm size location etc after my scans on Sunday- behind my right eye level with my temple - he said it is low risk ....... but in my eyes still a risk of rupture regardless of size and location - he believes I can have it coiled and it should ...... be a simple procedure ???
I am now seeing a surgeon at QMC in Nottingham on Monday to hope he agrees and I can get an op date ?
I've never had an op apart from c section so not sure what wait is like as if it's a long NHS wait might have to look at other options
What would everyone else do ?
In my eyes any risk of it rupturing is a risk and I don't want to live on the edge ?
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Lh2112
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Aneurysm rupture risk calculation info can be found on the net, but it is all a bit of an imperfect science tbh. If they think it is a serious risk you will be bumped. If not, then it is elective surgery - because it does not medically need to be done -so you will have to wait. That is not necessarily a bad thing though. There are 1 or 2 things you can find out about whilst you wait - and which you need to throw in the mix when making your decision.
There are known risks with the op - even for the neuroangiogram ahead of it you will have to sign a form to consent to the risk of stroke/ rupture/ damage to other brain circuitry whilst on the table. My annie was large and unstable - but tbh the risks for surgery were just as concerning. It is not a given that it is the best route for all.
Some people report ongoing issues post-coiling - headaches, fatigue, memory problems etc.- sometimes many years afterwards. Post op complications are fortunately not generally any worse than this, but you may want to read a few people's experiences to give you a balanced picture and help you weigh up the pros and cons of intervention particularly if your annie is small and rupture risk is said to be low.
Take advantage of your wait times to think this through with all the right info. This is your brain they are going to be fiddling about in! You need to be prepared for the emotional impact of that, as well as for the potential physical impacts of any procedure. (I came through my stent procedure fine, although there were difficulties and the op took 7 hrs instead of 3, I had a migraine come on inmediately I regained consciousness and was kept in for a week whilst they monitored me because of the head pain. It subsided in week 3).
Coiling is usually successful 1st time though so risk of the annie remaining/recurring is minimal - the vascular route is definitely preferable over open surgery if available to you.
Remember also that this incidental finding will now be monitored and you will have the advice of your neuro to take on board about how to reduce risk of rupture - so in a way you are much better off than before when you might have put yourself at increased risk through e.g high BP.
I didn't think I could live with my annie - hence the stent (my only option as it turned out to be inoperable anyway by normal routes in the end). But post op I still have an annie - reduced in size but still there. I have learned to live with it, one blessed moment at a time, living life in all its preciousness. Turns out it had a thing or 2 to teach me...
Hope that helps. Every blessing whilst you come to terms with this and decide what is the right way forward for you.
Thank you for your reply I will weigh up everything I did ask my neurologist what he would do if it was him or his family and he said operate - what is the neuroangiogram ? X
I had a neuroangiogram to coil my Annie it's done thro your groin and not painful at all . My memory was a bit hit and miss for a while but not bad now (9 months on ) fatigue is the only on going problem but I'm here and living life to the full x
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