Long-term results of surgical treatment of patients with cerebral arterial aneurysms

Abstract

To study the long-term results of surgical treatment of patients operated on for cerebral aneurysms and their impact on functional recovery, independence and cognitive functions in the long-term period. A multivariate regression analysis of long-term results of surgical treatment of 324 patients for cerebral aneurysms was performed (on average after 3.5 years). Upon admission of the patient to the hospital for surgical intervention, a clinical diagnostic examination was performed to confirm the diagnosis and determine the volume, timing and type of intervention. In the late period, a clinical neurological study was performed, which included an assessment of the degree of disability with the Barthel index and a modified Rankin scale, cognitive functions with MMSE, and the mental sphere with HADS. The severity of the condition at admission, corresponding to grade III-IV according to the Hunt-Hess classification, was the risk factor for an unfavorable prognosis for the recovery of patients in the long-term period of cerebral aneurysm surgery. The severe condition of patients at the onset of the disease increases the risk of disability by 1.9 times (p<0.05) and the risk of dementia by 6 times (p<0.05). An independent risk factor for the development of cognitive impairment is the patient's age: with an increase in age by 1 year, the MMSE score decreases by 0.27 (p<0.05). The prevalence of hemorrhage according to the Fisher classification, corresponding to grade III, is a predictor of the development of angiospasm in 91% of cases. In patients with established angiospasm, the risk of developing dementia and pre-dementia cognitive impairment was 57.3% (p<0.05). The best predictions for recovery of cognitive functions in the long-term period were observed in patients who underwent simultaneous aneurysm clipping with extra-intracranial anastomosis (mean MMSE score 25) compared with patients who underwent only aneurysm clipping (mean score 20), endovascular intervention (average score 21) or microsurgical intervention followed by intrathecal fibrinolytic injection (mean MMSE score of 20) (p<0.05). The predictors of unfavorable recovery of cognitive functions and the development of disability in the long-term period of surgical treatment of cerebral aneurysms were the severity of the condition at admission, corresponding to III-IV st. according to the Hunt-Hess classification, the age of the patient at the time of the intervention, the prevalence of hemorrhage according to Fisher, and the choice of surgical technique.