Objective: Advances in surgical and endovascular techniques have improved treatment for paraclinoid aneurysms. A combined surgical and endovascular team can formulate individualized treatment strategies for patients with paraclinoid aneurysms. Patients who are considered to be at high surgical risk can be treated endovascularly to minimize morbidity. We reviewed the clinical and radiographic outcomes of 238 paraclinoid aneurysms treated by our combined surgical and endovascular unit.
Methods: From 1991 to 1999, the neurovascular team treated 238 paraclinoid aneurysms in 216 patients at the Massachusetts General Hospital. The modality of treatment for each aneurysm was chosen based on anatomic and clinical risk factors, with endovascular treatment offered to patients considered to have higher surgical risks. One hundred eighty aneurysms were treated by direct surgery, 57 were treated by endovascular occlusion, and one was treated by surgical extracranial-intracranial bypass and endovascular internal carotid artery balloon occlusion. Locations were transitional, 12 (5%); carotid cave, 11 (5%); ophthalmic, 131 (55%); posterior carotid wall, 38 (16%); and superior hypophyseal 46 (19%). Lesions contained completely within the cavernous sinus were excluded from this analysis.
Results: Using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), overall clinical outcomes were excellent or good (GOS 5 or 4), 86%; fair (GOS 3), 7%; poor (GOS 2), 4%; and death (GOS 1), 3%. Among the surgically treated patients, 90% experienced excellent or good outcomes (GOS 5 or 4), 6% had fair outcomes (GOS 3), 2% had poor outcomes (GOS 2), and 3% died (GOS 1). Among the endovascularly treated patients, 74% had excellent or good outcomes (GOS 5 or 4), 12% had fair outcomes (GOS 3), 10% had poor outcomes (GOS 2), and 4% died (GOS 1). The overall major and minor complication rate from surgery was 29%, with a 6% surgery-related permanent morbidity rate and a mortality rate of 0%. The overall major and minor complication rate from endovascular treatment was 21%, with a 3% endovascular-related permanent morbidity rate and a 2% mortality rate. Visual outcomes for patients who presented with visual symptoms were as follows: improved, 69%; no change, 25%; worsened, 6%; and new visual deficits, 3%. In general, angiographic efficacy was lower in the endovascular treatment group.
Conclusion: A combined team approach of direct surgery and endovascular coiling can lead to good outcomes in the treatment for paraclinoid aneurysms, including high-risk lesions that might not have been treated in previous surgical series.