What is a brain aneurysm? A brain aneurysm is an enlarged part of a blood vessel that is in the brain. Technology has provided surgeons a way to find better ways to treat these aneurysms. New and improved brain aneurysms are saving lives.
Though most people who have a brain aneurysm do not know about it, there are a few symptoms that on should look out for. Vision changes, seizures, facial pains, nausea, neck pain, dilated pupils and loss of sensation are several different signs that may mean that one has a ruptured aneurysm. Speech complications, fatigue, and short term memory loss are symptoms that matt mean that one has a ruptured aneurysm (Schonfeld 518). Not all aneurysms are treated at the time of diagnosis, for it depends on the severity, size and location that will determine how soon a doctor should treat it. For both ruptured and unruptured aneurysms there is a treatment (briananeurysm.com).
There are two different ways to approach treating brain aneurysms, surgically, or by minimally-invasive treatment. Choosing the treatment that will work best depends on the size and location of the aneurysm. Endovascular therapy is specifically for unruptured aneurysms and accesses where the aneurysm is being treated from within the blood vessel. This is sometimes called “coiling” or embolization coiling (brainaneurysm.com). In this procedure, a physician inserts a small catheter into an artery in the patient’s leg and moves it to the head of the aneurysm. Nearly 125,000 patients worldwide have been treated with a detachable coil (brainaneurysm.com). Treatments for ruptured aneurysms include the treatment about, but other treatments are also an option. For ruptured aneurysms, there are two ways to ...
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...an seen with current treatment methods and it may also help to correct or lesson some symptoms. The article then goes on to state that VCU is one of about twenty-five hospitals in the United States to perform this procedure as an alternative to conventional surgery. This technology is very cutting edge and innovative which only helps the patients and their potential recovery. This doctor and his team of researchers have paved a way for many other doctors to find more new and improved methods to treat these aneurysms.
In conclusion, the size, location, and severity of the brain aneurysm will ultimately determine the treatment in which one should receive. However, doctors are continuing to conduct research to improve treatments and procedures that will make the entire process easier for the patient and the doctor who is performing this treatment.
...Trauma Foundation, medical care is improving (Ross 27). Constant learning about the brain is fundamental to discover better medications for those affected after experiencing a traumatic brain injury. Scientists are always finding stronger treatments for patients that have had a TBI. In a couple years, doctors see patients with severe cases being able to live a normal life (28). With improving technology, the medical field will always continue to grow.
Lippincott, W. (2013). Management of Patients with Cerebrovascular Disorders. Brunner and suddarth's textbook of medical -surgical nursing 12th ed. + nursing diagnosis, (p. 1895). S.l.: Wolters Kluwer Health.
A stroke is a serious, life-threatening medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of
People often know of strokes or someone affected by a stroke, but not always what constitutes a stroke. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted or reduced due to a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel or artery that supplies blood to the brain. The interruption of blood flow deprives the brain of necessary nutrients and oxygen supplies, killing surrounding cells in the brain.
A neurosurgeon is a physician whom specifies in the analysis of any abnormal or irregular neurological circumstances of the human brain. They specialize and operate on patients who suffer from diseases relating to the brain and the central nervous system (CNS). Neurosurgeons perform numerous amounts of various procedures outside the operating room including performing biopsies, cerebral angiograms, and examining patients for any minor or major indication of neurological disorders.
The four major treatments of AVMs in the brain include resection, endovascular embolization, stereotactic radiosurgery, and multimodality (Ogilvy et al., 2001). Resection of the AVM is simply surgical removal of the lesion with the goal of total obliteration. Endovascular embolization utilizes a catheter to inject a glue-like substance to block the AVM (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2011). According to Ogilvy et al. (2001), stereotactic radiosurgery is a type of focused radiation that destroys the AVM. Multi-modal treatment is a combination of two or more treatments, and the most common form of multi-treatment is embolization paired with either resection or radiosurgery (Ogilvy et al., 2001). Endovascular embolization can be used to reduce the size of the AVM and therefore make either resection or radiosurgery more effective in reducing hemorrhage risk (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2011). The Spetzler-Martin scale is often used to determine relative risk an...
Strokes are not only the leading cause of mentally disabling adults, but they are also the third most common reason for deaths worldwide (Jarvis, 2012). In general, a stroke, also called a “cerebrovascular accident,” occurs when blood flow of the vascular system is blocked from reaching parts of the brain (Jarvis, 2012). There are two types of stroke, an ischemic stroke or a hemorrhagic stroke, and they differ in the way they affect the vascular system. An ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke, accounting for 80 percent of all strokes, and it is due to a thrombus or embolus blocking blood vessels supplying the brain (Durukan & Tatlisumak, 2007). A hemorrhagic stroke is less common, but is caused by the rupturing of a blood vessel in the brain and causes bleeding (Jarvis, 2012).
In most cases the brain aneurysm is an incidental finding. If the brain aneurysm is found by a doctor it is important for the patient to consult a neurosurgeon to determine if further action needs to take place. Brain aneurysms often occur in people between the ages of 35-60 but can also occur in young children as well. Aneurysms are most common after the age of 40. A speech-language pathologist would have a role in therapy after a patient has had a brain aneurysm. A speech-language pathologist might help with memory and thinking as well as helping a patient relearn how to say words. A speech therapist might also do a swallow study on a patient. There are several speech therapy techniques including; giving the beginning of the sound of the word to trigger memory, and working on simple day-to-day conversation skills. There are other members who will be included in the patient’s recovery including physical therapists, occupational therapists, doctors, and
People have been trying to find a cure for brain cancer, but they have been unsuccessful. There are a few treatments that cancer reduce or even get rid of the cancer. “Surgery is the treatment of choice for accessible brain tumors that can be removed without causing serious neurologic damage.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Surgery only works for some brain tumors and doesn’t always compl...
There has yet to be a cure for Hydrocephalus, but there are indeed treatments. Although, not many advances have been made in preventing, healing, or moderating Hydrocephalus. In fact, the device currently used as the dominant treatment was pronounced fifty years ago and has had the highest failure rates in comparison to any surgical remedy. Introducing said regimen, The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2013) explains, “Hydrocephalus is most often treated by surgically inserting a shunt system.” This operation revolves around the embedding of two catheters along with a valve. The valve influences the flow of CSF to generate an increasingly normal rate and direction. As an alternative, there is a procedure labeled as a ventriculostomy in which a hole is made in the underlying area of a ventricle or in between the ventricles. This functions as a funnel for the CSF to exit the cranial area. These methods are customarily permanent and must be monitored
Among the numerous components in the human body, the brain ranks superior due to its vital role in maintaining a suitable environment for life to continue. Injuries and conditions that affect this system have the ability to cause severe and life-threatening damage, which is why doctors that specialize in this field of medicine are so indispensable to healthcare institutions. According to healthline.com, a neurologist is a physician who has undergone additional training to diagnose and treat disorders of the nervous system. The nervous system includes the brain and the nerves that send signals to allow the body to function properly. However, many neurologists specialize in more specific conditions such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. They can also treat injuries such as concussions or strokes. Additionally, a neurologist can work as a reference for other physicians by advising them about the effects of certain medical conditions like AIDS or substances such as drugs and alcohol on the nervous system. (Hoyle)
Neil. (2003, October 1). Triple-H therapy in the management of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage. The Lancet Neurology, 2(10), 614-620. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(03)00531-3
... usually detected when someone goes into the doctor for a head injury or some kind of pain completely unrelated to the aneurysm. A computed tomography (CT) scan may be used to help identify any bleeding in the brain. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), being similar to a CT, uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to provide pictures of blood vessels inside the body. A dye is often used during the procedure to make blood vessels appear more clear. Lastly, a cerebral angiogram may be done. This is an x-ray test, where a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel, usually in the groin or arm and moved from the vessel into the brain. A dye is also injected. The dye used allows any problem areas in the artery, to be viewed by a radiologist on their x-ray. Although this test is more invasive, it is the best way to locate a small brain aneurysm (Nisacara).
A brain hemorrhage is a medical condition in which a blood vessel located in the brain bursts and produces internal bleeding. This condition is fatal if not caught and treated soon. Nearly half of people with a brain bleed die within two days, and only 12% of people are recover within one month.
Stroke is a clinical syndrome produced by acute interruption of the normal blood flow to an area of the brain. This then causes the brain to lose important nutrients as well as oxygen which will prevent it to keep functioning up to par. This is a consequence from a thrombosis, intracranial hemorrhage, or embolism, which causes vascular insufficiency. The outcome is persistent dysfunction related to the affected structures. There are many ways that strokes may occur, they can be cardiogenic or hemorrhagic. Stroke can happen at any age from the youth to the elderly. In most cases it occurs suddenly and could take from five to seven days to completely affect the person. If not treated or found on early onset, stroke can not only cause extreme harm but can also be fatal. Some people recover fully, while others only recover to some extent. Each year people in America die from a stroke or are seriously disabled. Although most cases are preventable, Stroke is still the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States.