Background: Treatment of intracranial aneurysm (ICA) can sometimes require several procedures. The aim of this study was to analyze the risk of recanalization and rupture recurrence after ICA treatment by endovascular coiling (EVC) or surgical clipping (SC) on a very long follow-up.
Methods: Clinical data of 373 consecutive patients treated in our group between January 1996 and December 2006 as well by EVC as by SC for ruptured (RIA) or unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA), were reviewed. Patients were followed-up at least to August 2009. First radiologic follow-up done six months after EVC and between three and five years after SC (median time: 5 years). All patients underwent a clinical follow-up after treatment, at least by telephonic communication (median time: 6 years).
Results: Out of 197 patients with 198 RIAs, 82 (42%) patients underwent an endovascular treatment and 115 (58%) were allocated to surgical treatment. From a total of 176 patients with 229 UIAs, 66 (37.5%) patients were treated by 74 EVC; and 110 (62.5%) patients were treated with 124 surgical procedures. Fifteen recanalizations of coiled RIAs were detected and only one in the surgical group (27% vs. 2%; P= 0.0008). Of the 15 recanalizations in the EVC group, 6 (40%) were initially completely occluded. We observed two rebleedings, one in each group (1.4% for EVC; 1% for SC; P=0.8).
Conclusions: Our findings during the longest reported follow-up confirm a greater risk of recanalization for RIA treated by EVC without so far a significant difference in the rerupture risk.