Complex intracranial aneurysms: combined operative and endovascular approaches

Endovascular management of complex intracranial aneurysms is increasingly being considered as an alternative to standard surgical clipping. However, little attention has been paid to the complementary nature of surgery and endovascular therapy.

Between September 1992 and May 1997, 12 patients with complex intracranial aneurysms were treated with combined operative and endovascular methods. Seven patients demonstrated subarachnoid hemorrhage (two of Grade II, two of Grade III, and three of Grade IV). Five patients demonstrated unruptured aneurysms, i.e., three giant aneurysms (one vertebrobasilar junction aneurysm, one middle cerebral artery bifurcation aneurysm, and one internal carotid artery-ophthalmic artery aneurysm), one large internal carotid artery-ophthalmic artery aneurysm, and one middle cerebral artery serpentine aneurysm. Management strategies involved either surgery followed by endovascular therapy (S-E; n = 5) or endovascular therapy followed by surgery (E-S; n = 7). S-E paradigms included aneurysm exploration followed by endovascular treatment (S-E1; n = 3), partial aneurysm clipping followed by endovascular aneurysm packing (S-E2; n = 1), and extracranial-to-intracranial bypass followed by endovascular parent vessel occlusion (S-E3; n = 1). E-S paradigms included superselective angiography followed by surgical clipping (E-S1; n = 2), Guglielmi detachable coil partial dome packing followed by delayed surgical clipping (E-S2; n = 2), proximal temporary vessel balloon occlusion followed by aneurysm clipping (E-S3; n = 2), and proximal permanent vessel occlusion followed by surgical aneurysm decompression for mass effect treatment (E-S4; n = 1).

Eleven aneurysms (92%) were completely eliminated. The remaining aneurysm was 90% obliterated and remained quiescent at the 34-month follow-up examination, despite presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage. No patient experienced repeat bleeding (follow-up period, 23+/-28 mo). There were no deaths. One patient achieved a fair outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale score of III); all other patients experienced excellent outcomes (Glasgow Outcome Scale score of I). In all cases, the aneurysm management paradigm chosen had a positive effect on definitive therapy.

Several factors can contribute to the complexity of intracranial aneurysms. Management strategies that combine operative and endovascular techniques in a complementary way, for the best possible outcomes for these patients, can be designed accordingly.