Many cerebrovascular conditions can lead to the need for emergency surgical intervention. In fact, cerebrovascular disease is the third leading cause of death in the United States.

In many cases, it is now possible to treat damaged vessels without the need for open skull surgery, resulting in better outcomes and shorter recovery time of our patients, when compared to open surgeries. This is thanks to advances in the area of minimally invasive endovascular/cerebrovascular surgery. Your surgeon will explain the pros and cons of minimally-invasive surgery and determine if you are candidate.

Our neurosurgery experts specialize in the surgical and endovascular treatment of blood vessel disorders of the brain and spine, including:

• Stroke
• Aneurysms
• Arteriovenous malformations
• Carotid stenosis

We use our expertise in endovascular procedures to provide chemotherapy for brain tumors and brain tumor embolization (the use of blood vessels to access brain tumors and reduce blood supply that sustains their growth).

What to Expect

Until recently, the only option for treating many cerebrovascular conditions was brain surgery. The introduction of stent-assisted coiling has allowed patients to avoid surgical procedures, and recover much more quickly.

We provide the latest state-of-the-art minimally invasive endovascular surgeries. These are performed using thin catheters (tubes) introduced into the vasculature through a vessel in the groin, arm, or neck. Typically, patients spend a couple of nights in the hospital after the procedure and can go back to work in a week.

• Coiling: Coiling, or endovascular embolization, consists of placing micro-coils an aneurysm via a catheter to close off blood flow and thus prevent rupture or stop bleeding. Micro-coils are shaped like a spring and made of platinum. They are tiny, ranging in size from about twice the width of a human hair to less than one hair's width.
  
  Coiling does not require a craniotomy and is performed under light sedation or general anesthesia depending on the cases. Generally, the hospital stay (1-3 days) is half that of non-minimally invasive procedures.
  
  
• Stenting: Some aneurysms with a wide neck or unusual shape require a stent to help hold the coils in place. Wide neck aneurysms have wide openings at their base and are considered the most difficult to treat. These aneurysms are treated with stent-assisted coiling.
  
  Stenting is performed by placing a pipe-shaped metal mesh inside the blood vessel to cover the neck of the aneurysm. The stent is placed before coiling and remains in the artery permanently to hold the coils inside the aneurysm preventing them from falling out. Over time, blood clots on the coils and diverts blood away from the weakened vessel walls and prevents a rupture.
  
  
• Mechanical Thrombectomy: Some patients who have had an ischemic stroke (caused by an obstruction, generally a blood clot, in one of the arteries that carry blood to the brain) are good candidates for minimally invasive endovascular procedures with high success rates.
  
  During a mechanical thrombectomy, the surgeon removes the clot that is obstructing blood flow to the brain using sophisticated instruments called retriever devices. The procedure starts with inserting a catheter into an artery in the leg, which is then guided through the vascular system into the obstructed vessel in the brain. The clot retrieval device is then passed through the catheter to the blood clot, where it captures and removes it.

Why Choose UHealth?

The highest standard of care. Our cerebrovascular and endovascular specialists set high standards and meet them through the expertise of highly skilled neurosurgeons and clinicians, state-of-the-art endovascular and surgical procedures, and pioneering research.

Leaders in the field. We have some of the best neurosurgeons in the region trained in the latest in endovascular surgery. They are experts in treating brain diseases that originate from or are related to cerebral blood vessels.

Access to the most sophisticated techniques. When you become a patient, you have access to the latest technology and procedures like 3D computer modeling and stent retrievers.