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news.A study conducted by the University of California has shown that severe aneurysm bleeds, often considered an untreatable condition, can be successfully targeted using endovascular therapy.
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Results of the study indicate that endovascular therapy can lead to significant recovery for patients suffering the most severe effects of aneurysm bleeds, or subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In the past, aneurysm rupture patients with severe damage have not had aggressive treatment due to the typically poor outcomes.
The investigators believe the study results should challenge the medical fatalism that is often associated with patients suffering the devastating effects of poor-grade aneurysms.
“I can safely say that this study can offer treating physicians, patients and patients’ families hope in the treatment possibilities even when patients’ conditions are grave. It is possible that these patients can achieve quality of life with appropriate aneurysm treatment and aggressive medical management,” said Dr Gary Duckwiler, a professor at the University of California and co-author of the study.
The study included 111 poor grade patients treated with endovascular therapy who were admitted between 1990 and 2004. Patients were evaluated both at discharge and at an average of 32 months (following the aneurysm bleed) with a clinical assessment. Study results indicate that 39 patients (35.1% of total study participants) demonstrated favorable outcomes at long-term follow-up, indicating the patient’s ability to live independently.
According to the American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology approximately two million people in the US have an unruptured aneurysm and roughly 30,000 Americans suffer from subarachnoid hemorrhage each year.