Therapy of giant intracranial aneurysms in the elderly

A series of 13 elderly patients (eight female, five male) with giant intracranial aneurysms is presented. The mean age was 67.8 years, with a range of 57-81 years. The paper presents the significant medical problems associated with operating on elderly individuals. Surgical intervention was attempted in all cases. Following surgical treatment, eight patients (62%) are alive and functional. Three patients (23%) are alive but partially disabled. Two patients (15%) died during the perioperative period. This compares favorably with other series which include younger patients indicating surgery for giant intracranial aneurysms can be carried out in elderly patients with an acceptable morbidity and mortality.