The Berlin clinic «Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin» is the largest university hospital in Europe which is working in the following areas:
- Disorder of the abdominal cavity and intestines
- Vascular disease;
- Diabetic foot disease
- Minimally invasive surgical treatment
- Endocrine surgery
- Bariatric surgery
- Colorectal surgery and proctology
Usually we recommend a minimum “aggressive” surgery. Preliminary diagnostic is necessary. Department of Vascular Surgery is fully equipped with modern diagnostic equipment using the latest advanced computed tomography, ultrasound, angiography, and endoscopy. We are examining and, if necessary, treating any cerebrovascular disease directly in Berlin. Full examination of blood vessels is also possible here.
The Clinic has five operation rooms equipped with the newest anaesthesia and intensive care devices.Intensive care is the basis for visceral surgery, because it show the best results of surgeries.Office hours are the most suitable for patients.
The clinic provides the ability to perform operations as inpatient and also as outpatient procedure. At the Clinic for Vascular Surgery medical services are provided by experienced medical stuff and highly skilled specialists.
Treatment of brain aneurysm
Brain aneurysm is a blood-filled bulge or weak area in the wall of an artery that supplies brain with blood. Normally blood vessels are divided into capillaries and become thinner naturally.The size of the damaged vessel may be small, but then they can increase substantially.
This disease is usually fatal, because bursting aneurysm can cause big internal bleeding. About one-third of all affected, die in this case.Only slightly more than a half of cases can count on success to be treated.All others become disable or die.To avoid serious consequences, brain aneurysm should be identified at early stage and be treated immediately.
To diagnose “aneurysm” CT angiography and cerebral angiography is used.CT angiography is able to detect cerebral blood effusion.Sometimes CT angiography does not show a small bleeding in this case a lumbar puncture can be useful.
Usually the aneurysm is diagnosed during an examination for other diseases.Sometimes brain aneurysm shows following symptoms – a decrease in vision, headache due to arterial or venous compression.Aneurysm has to be treated by a neurosurgeon starting with consultation.Methods of treatment depend on the patients’ health, taking into account the size and location of the aneurysm.
Types of aortic aneurysms:
- Fusiform aneurysm – vascular damage around the circumference of the aorta (symmetrical), the most common type
- Saccular aneurysm – on one side of the aorta (asymmetrical)
- Dissecting aneurysm – the artery wall is ripped by bleeding longitudinally, usually in people with Marfan syndrome
There are two additional types of aneurysms
- True aneurysm affects all three layers of the artery wall (intima, media, adventitia)
- False aneurysm, also called pseudoaneurysm – a hole in the artery occurs due to hematoma
Methods of treatment
Clipping – one of the most popular methods to treat an aneurysm. A neurosurgeon places a clip around the aneurysm that prevent blood supply into the aneurysm.
Coiling is a minimally invasive endovascular procedure that can be seen as extension of angiography. A catheter is used that can be inserted through a blood vessel into the aneurysm. Alternative to clipping the catheter is packed into the aneurysm and fills it completely to prevent blood flow to enter the aneurysm.
Additional modification like placing a stent in the vessel or balloon remodelling can be necessary to keep the ciols in the aneurysm. New endovascular technologies were developed over the last years that allow to treat even aneurysms considered untreatable. One of them is flow diverting embolization – the blood flow is diverted away from aneurysm so the healing of the blood vessel can occur. The aneurysm disappears.
Prevention of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and postoperative period
The hospitalization for traditional surgical treatment lasts 5-8 days. The patient does not need to be observed after the operation because complications are very rare.Endovascular intervention takes 2-5 days stay and includes a constant supervision with monitoring and CT examinations.Sometimes the lumen of the artery becomes narrower what requires repeated intervention.
Prevention for abdominal aortic aneurysm appearance is the same that for prevention of coronary heart disease.Control your blood pressure, change of the life style, reduce alcohol consumption and smoking, regular examination every quarter a year or every six months.Ultrasound helps the doctor to determine whether you need surgery or not.
The rupture of the aorta causes a dangerous heavy bleeding that damages internal body tissues and organs. Also kidney failure can develop and the patient’s condition can become complicated. If an aneurysm ruptures spontaneously, the patient will die without the intervention of the surgeon. About 90 % of people who disagree with a surgery face with rupture of the affected vessel.