2008 Woodie Awards
Cerebral aneurysm patients offered new surgical treatment
Kate Lee
Issue date: 3/31/08 Section: Pulse
A vast and intricate network composes the inner workings of the human body's blood vascular system. As sophisticated as our vascular system is, the weakening of blood vessel walls give rise to an aneurysm, a balloon that grows from a blood vessel and continues to grow as more blood flows through, eventually reaching a size where it may rupture.
Dr. Fady Charbel, professor and head of the Neurosurgery Department at UIC Medical Center, described an aneurysm with a bubblegum analogy: "Imagine you're blowing a [bubble with] bubble gum. When you blow a bubble, the bubble may burst right away or it may take a while until the bubble is really thin and really large for it to burst."
Although an aneurysm may not rupture right away, the larger the aneurysm grows, the higher risk there is for it to explode.
Nancy Bell, a former firefighter from Twin Lakes, was diagnosed with a cerebral aneurysm after experiencing blurred vision, severe headaches and pain in her left eye. Despite previous procedures aimed at sealing off blood flow from her aneurysm, her problems persisted.
Bell's aneurysm would be a typical candidate for a standard bypass procedure wherein the aneurysm is clamped off at either side, a grafted blood vessel (usually the Great Saphenous vein from the patient's leg) is sutured on either end of the recipient blood vessel (the artery with the aneurysm), and then the ends of the blood vessel would be sutured to reroute the blood flow away from the aneurysm.
Because this procedure temporarily cuts off blood supply, the patient is at risk for a stroke (cutting off blood supply clots blood and when blood flow resumes, the clotted blood could dislodge), and there could also be tissue damage from the momentary disruption of blood flow.
The standard bypass is high-risk, especially when this type of aneurysm is in the brain.
However, Dr. Charbel had the answer for Bell's medical problem. ELANA (Excimer Laser Assisted Nonocclusive Anastomosis) was developed by neurosurgeon Cornellius Tulleken in the Netherlands in the 1990s. "Anastomosis" refers to the connection of blood vascular networks that are not normally joined. Bell was treated by Dr. Charbel and was the first patient to receive this experimental procedure in the Midwest.
Dr. Fady Charbel, professor and head of the Neurosurgery Department at UIC Medical Center, described an aneurysm with a bubblegum analogy: "Imagine you're blowing a [bubble with] bubble gum. When you blow a bubble, the bubble may burst right away or it may take a while until the bubble is really thin and really large for it to burst."
Although an aneurysm may not rupture right away, the larger the aneurysm grows, the higher risk there is for it to explode.
Nancy Bell, a former firefighter from Twin Lakes, was diagnosed with a cerebral aneurysm after experiencing blurred vision, severe headaches and pain in her left eye. Despite previous procedures aimed at sealing off blood flow from her aneurysm, her problems persisted.
Bell's aneurysm would be a typical candidate for a standard bypass procedure wherein the aneurysm is clamped off at either side, a grafted blood vessel (usually the Great Saphenous vein from the patient's leg) is sutured on either end of the recipient blood vessel (the artery with the aneurysm), and then the ends of the blood vessel would be sutured to reroute the blood flow away from the aneurysm.
Because this procedure temporarily cuts off blood supply, the patient is at risk for a stroke (cutting off blood supply clots blood and when blood flow resumes, the clotted blood could dislodge), and there could also be tissue damage from the momentary disruption of blood flow.
The standard bypass is high-risk, especially when this type of aneurysm is in the brain.
However, Dr. Charbel had the answer for Bell's medical problem. ELANA (Excimer Laser Assisted Nonocclusive Anastomosis) was developed by neurosurgeon Cornellius Tulleken in the Netherlands in the 1990s. "Anastomosis" refers to the connection of blood vascular networks that are not normally joined. Bell was treated by Dr. Charbel and was the first patient to receive this experimental procedure in the Midwest.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Chris Martin
posted 4/11/08 @ 4:23 PM CST
Hi Kate...very nice article...excellent attention to detail balanced by easy to understand writing...nice!
chris
Chris Chittum, M.D.
posted 5/08/08 @ 3:33 PM CST
Bypass of an aneurysm is a very atypical procedure. Most aneurysms can be clipped primarily and not need bypass. Bypass is a very technically demanding procedure preformed by super specialist neurosurgeons. (Continued…)
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