Microsurgical clipping of the anterior circulation aneurysms

Abstract

Introduction: The authors present the analysis of the microsurgical clipping of 100 cerebral aneurysms of the anterior circulation and compare the series data with the literature. Methods: Eighty-eight patients presenting with 100 anterior circulation aneurysms operated on microsurgical techniques between 2002 and 2008 by the first author (CES) were retrospectively reviewed. Results: A total of 88 patients with 100 aneurysms of the anterior circulation were treated in a six years period. Fifty eight female (66%) and thirty male (34%) with nine patients (10.2%) presenting with multiple aneurysms. The mean age was 52 years (range from 26 to 76 years). Eighty five percent of the cases were ruptured aneurysms. The mean follow-up was 52.4 months (range from 5 to 76 months). The topography of the aneurysms was distributed as it follows: Anterior communicating artery (ACoA) 25%; posterior communicating artery (p-comm) 29%; middle cerebral artery (MCA) 27%; paraclinoidal aneurysms 8%; pericallosal artery 6% and internal carotid artery (ICA) tip 5%. The mortality was 7.9%, and such cases presenting with Hunt Hess graduation 3 and 4. The permanent morbidity was 4.5%, cases with Hunt Hess graduation 3 and 4. Perioperative rupture occurred in 17% of the cases, only in previous ruptured aneurysms. There was no clinical evidence of rebleeding during the follow-up period of the series. Conclusions: The microsurgical clipping of cerebral aneurysms of the anterior circulation is a safe and curative treatment for most of such lesions. At present, studies suggest evidences of superior results of surgery compared to the endovascular techniques in the rates of total occlusion of the aneurysms, lesser rates of rebleeding of the treated cases. The results of the present series are similar to the rates of the most relevant literature.