Comparing treatment for brain aneurysms

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study shows that treating a burst aneurysm in the brain with platinum coils is better than surgery.
A subarachnoid aneurysm involves a weakness in an artery in the base of the brain. If it bursts, then a hemorrhage, which could be fatal, may result. There are two kinds of treatment for this condition - inserting miniature platinum coils to block off the weakness or surgery to clip it off. Researchers in Oxford, England, now report upon how the two approaches compare.

A group of over 2000 patients from around the world had one of the two treatments. Of those in the minimally invasive platinum coil group, 23.5 per cent were dead or severely disabled a year on, compared to 30.9 per cent in the surgery group. These differences were maintained at seven years. This study is a continuation of an earlier one which looked only at the early outcome. Although it suggests that the minimally invasive procedure is best, the decision on treatment for this complex condition still has to be made on an individual basis.

Source
The Lancet 3rd September 2005