KOCHI: The endovascular division of Neurosurgery Department at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) here has performed the most advanced treatment for brain aneurysm using ‘the flow diverter pipeline stent’. The hospital authorities said that it is the first of its kind in a private sector hospital and second in Kerala. The surgery was carried out on a female patient called Poonam, a native of Punjab settled in Angamali.
The doctors explained that aneurysms of the brain’s blood vessels are abnormal balloon-like projections which develop on the wall of an artery.
If it ruptures, it can lead to grave consequences, even death. “Some patients have complex aneurysms that are large and involve multiple branches of the blood vessel. It is traditionally treated with major open skull base surgery and clipping, but the surgery is very complex and requires longer hospital stay. But this surgery was less complicated and the patient was discharged on the fourth day after the surgery,” said Dr Sajesh K Menon HOD, Neurosurgery Department.
Poonam developed disturbances in her vision due to a large aneurysm in the brain. “Diagnosis is the major hurdle in such cases. Thankfully, in her case, when she started losing her vision, she consulted us and eventually we decided to go for this new technique,” he added.
Flow diverter Pipeline Embolisation Device (PED) is American FDA approved and is a new alternative which allows for a more natural healing of the aneurysm avoiding a major open surgery.
Poonam said that she is absolutely satisfied with the surgery. “I get mild headaches occasionally, but it goes on its own,” she said.
“The device also reduces the risk of the aneurysm rupture. The procedure considerably reduces the hospital stay of the patient by two or three days and the recovery is fast in comparison with similar open surgeries. It also leaves no scars behind,” said neurosurgeon Dr Sree Hari. The surgery costs around `7 lakh.