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Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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The first step in the treatment of a brain aneurysm is to find the aneurysm. Once it is identified, neurosurgeons and interventional radiologists will evaluate the patient and -- based upon the location of the aneurysm in the brain -- decide how best to stop the bleeding.

The major options that exist include:

• Neurosurgery: During surgery, the skull is opened and the aneurysm is identified. Then, a clip is placed across the base of the aneurysm to prevent further bleeding.
• Endovascular Coiling: Using X-rays and fluoroscopy, a catheter is threaded through the brain's arteries to the base of the aneurysm. Platinum coils are inserted into the aneurysm, causing it to clot and preventing further bleeding.

There are risks and benefits to each procedure that have to be individualized to each patient and his or her situation; as treatment methods advance, other options may become available.

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