An endovascular procedure involves placement of a microcatheter through the femoral artery in the groin. The catheter is advanced, under x-ray guidance, into the aneurysm. There, threadlike platinum coils are placed into the aneurysm to block blood flow and thereby eliminate the risk of the blood vessel breaking. This technique is used for patients who are unable to tolerate surgery. This technology has the potential to replace conventional aneurysm surgery in appropriate patients.
Endovascular repair of an unruptured aneurysm (aneurysms that have not broken open and bled) usually allows patients to leave the hospital the day after treatment.
After an aneurysm ruptures, many patients suffer from vasospasm, an arterial spasm that restricts blood flow to the brain. Endovascular techniques such as angioplasty are also used to treat this condition.
