Repeated Endovascular Treatments in Patients with Recurrent Cerebral Vasospasms After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Worthwhile Strategy?

Abstract

Endovascular interventions in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and symptomatic cerebral vasospasm (sCVS) are commonly performed, but the potential benefits of repeated interventions have not been proven. The aim of this study was to show the potential burden and opportunities of repeated endovascular interventions in cases of recurrent sCVS. We reviewed 15 patients with SAH who underwent more than 2 endovascular treatments of recurrent sCVS (CVS group) regarding the radiation doses, their clinical course, and their functional outcome. A case-control group of SAH patients without sCVS individually matched for age, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies score, Fisher grade, and treatment modality was used as control group (non-CVS group). A total of 70 endovascular treatments were performed in the CVS group. CVS group patients received longer mechanical ventilation (585 days vs. 439 days) and showed a higher rate of tracheostomy (12/15 vs. 7/15) and shunt-dependent hydrocephalus (6/15 vs. 2/15) than did the non-CVS patients. Moreover, patients from the CVS group underwent significantly (P < 0.001) more angiographies (median, 5 vs. 2) and CTP/CTA scans (median, 4 vs. 1) and consequently received significantly (P < 0.001) higher radiation doses. The rate of unfavorable outcomes (mRS 3-6) after 3 months was nonsignificantly higher in the CVS group (6/15 vs. 2/15), but after 6 months at least 5/14 patients from the CVS group showed a favorable outcome. Repeated endovascular treatments of SAH patients with recurrent CVS are complex and expose the patients to high radiation doses. Nevertheless, favorable results could be achieved in patients in otherwise poor condition.