Microsurgical clip obliteration of middle cerebral aneurysm using intraoperative flow assessment

Cerebral aneurysms are abnormal widening or ballooning of a localized segment of an intracranial blood vessel. Surgical clipping is an important treatment for aneurysms which attempts to exclude blood from flowing into the aneurysmal segment of the vessel while preserving blood flow in a normal fashion. Improper clip placement may result in residual aneurysm with the potential for subsequent aneurysm rupture or partial or full occlusion of distal arteries resulting in cerebral infarction. Here we describe the use of an ultrasonic flow probe to provide quantitative evaluation of arterial flow before and after microsurgical clip placement at the base of a middle cerebral artery aneurysm. This information helps ensure adequate aneurysm reconstruction with preservation of normal distal blood flow.