Severe symptomatic vasospasm: the role of immediate postoperative angioplasty

The clinical success of angioplasty for symptomatic vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) depends on early intervention and can best be achieved after the aneurysm is occluded. However, patients presenting with unsecured ruptured aneurysms and established clinical vasospasm offer a dilemma for the surgeon. The authors describe the cases of five such patients who underwent acute clipping of aneurysms followed by immediate postoperative angioplasty between 1988 and 1992. All were referred at least 5 days after SAH. Severe vasospasm compatible with the clinical presentation was confirmed by angiography. The patients met the department's criteria for angioplasty but, because of unclipped aneurysms, were first taken patients met the department's criteria for angioplasty but, because of unclipped aneurysms, were first taken to the operating room for a craniotomy and aneurysm obliteration. Angiography was repeated immediately after surgery. Arterial narrowing had progressed during surgery in two patients. In all patients, postoperative mechanical dilatation was achieved with the use of a silicone microballoon. Following angioplasty, transcranial Doppler ultrasound flow velocities and single-photon emission computerized tomography evaluation indicated improved cerebral perfusion compared to preoperative determinations. Four patients improved clinically and made a good recovery. In this subgroup of patients presenting with proven symptomatic vasospasm and an unclipped but ruptured aneurysm, urgent surgical obliteration of the aneurysm followed by immediate postoperative angioplasty may be a safe and reasonable means to improve outcome.