Who should get treatment for a brain aneurysm?

Who should get treatment for a brain aneurysm?

A leaking or ruptured brain aneurysm requires emergency surgery. But you might only find out about a brain aneurysm when you have an imaging test for an unrelated condition.

If you have a small brain aneurysm that isn’t causing symptoms, and you do not have other relevant risk factors, your healthcare provider may recommend not treating it. Instead, your provider will order regular imaging tests to rule out any change or growth over time. They will also recommend you quit smoking (if you are a smoker) and require that your blood pressure control is under control. You’ll need to get help right away if you develop symptoms, or aneurysm change/growth occurs on follow-up imaging.

If you have symptoms, positive risk factors, and/or the aneurysm is large, you and your healthcare provider will discuss the benefits, risks and alternatives of surgical and/or endovascular treatment. The decision depends on several factors, including but not limited to your:

• Age
• Overall health and your medical conditions
• Aneurysm location, size and other characteristics
• Vascular anatomy
• Family history
• Risk of a brain bleed (rupture)