Providence Hospital: Southfield
Research, Surgery
Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Media Contact: Brian Taylor, 248-849-2236

Neurosurgeons at Providence Hospital are the first in the United States to treat patients as part of a study to determine whether a specially designed coil can prevent recurrent brain aneurysms.  Two patients were treated at Providence, which is one of only 15 centers nationwide taking part in the study.  

Platinum aneurysm coils have been in use for 10 years. The new coil is coated with absorbable polymer fibers or microfilaments, which promote clotting and scar formation in the aneurysm sac and promote healing.

“About 20 percent of all patients will experience a recurrence of their aneurysm following initial coiling,” says Richard Fessler, M.D., Providence Hospital neurosurgeon.  “We are hopeful that this coil will be the breakthrough we’ve been looking for to lessen the number of patients needing additional treatment.”

A brain aneurysm is caused by weakness in an artery wall or blood vessel that provides blood to the brain. As the artery wall weakens, it begins to bulge and stretch.  The resulting thinned wall can burst, causing bleeding that can lead to a stroke or even death.  Aneurysms occur as a result of disease, injury, or heredity.

In treating brain aneurysms with a coil, also know as endovascular therapy, surgeons place a catheter in the femoral artery in the patient's leg, guiding it through the vascular system and into the head and eventually into the aneurysm. The coil is threaded through the catheter and deployed into the aneurysm, blocking blood flow and preventing rupture.

Six out of every 100 people experience a brain aneurysm. They can occur in people of all ages, but are most common in those between the ages of 50-60.  Aneurysms are about three times more likely to occur in women.

The neurosurgery program at Providence Hospital offers comprehensive, advanced diagnosis and treatment for the brain, spine and nervous system. Providence Hospital is a member of St. John Health,the largest provider of inpatient care in southeast Michigan. St. John Health provides comprehensive prevention, primary care and advanced treatment programs with more than 125 medical centers, and eight hospitals spanning five counties.

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