Some observations on the microneurosurgical treatment of intracranial aneurysms

This paper reports a retrospective study of the microneurosurgical management of intracranial aneurysm in 133 patients. Good or fair results were obtained in 76%, 12% of patients had a poor result and the mortality was 12%. Major factors which were found to influence the outcome of surgery were: pre-operatively, the Botterell grade of the patient, pre-existing systemic hypertension and the time interval between the last subarachnoid haemorrhage and surgery. Post-operatively, the development of cerebral vasospasm was associated with a poor outcome from surgery. Better results might be obtained from the surgery of intracranial aneurysm by delaying operation to the second week after subarachnoid haemorrhage and by better management of hypertensive patients pre-operatively and patients who develop cerebral vasospasm post-operatively.