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Recovery
The recovery process varies from patient to patient, depending upon the type of aneurysm, the location in the brain, whether it hemorrhaged, how it was treated, and the physical condition of the patient. Once the brain aneurysm has been clipped, coiled, or bypassed, a patient begins his/her long road to recovery.
Post-Operative
After treatment, most patients will spend a couple days in the Intensive Care Unit. He/she will be closely monitored for pressure on the brain, any new bleeding, threat of vasospasm, as well as making sure all other body functions are working properly
After a few days, the patient will be moved to a neurological floor within the hospital. He/she might stay in the hospital for one week or one month. The stay depends on the amount of damage caused by the aneurysm, his/her overall health, and his/her response to treatment. The health care team will monitor how well treatment has worked. Then they will decide whether rehabilitation is needed
Evaluation
Follow-up tests may be done three to five days following the treatment. These tests show how well the treatment worked, and if any further treatment will need to be performed. An angiogram may be performed to check the position of the coils or clips. This test provides an image of a treated aneurysm. A Doppler Test may be done daily to check for vasospasm. A CT Scan will show if any bleeding or swelling in the brain has occurred after treatment. In some cases, an MRI Scan may be ordered, which is another imaging technique that provides doctors with images of the brain tissue.
Moving Forward
Brain aneurysm patients are usually faced with many decisions after treatment. Luckily, they have the support of family, friends, and health care workers. Some of these decisions include the next phase in the recovery process. They might include having to deal with the following issues:
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| • | Short-term Rehabilitation Facility |
| • | Long-term Rehabilitation Facility |
| • | Outpatient Therapy |
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