Lagoon Hospital in Ikoyi, Lagos state has performed its first brain aneurysm surgery, which was successful.
CEO of Lagoon Hospital, Dr. Olujimi Coker stated:
“Congrats to our amazing team. 1st brain aneurysm surgery today at Lagoon Ikoyi. Complex and bilobed right Posterior communicating artery aneurysm, with both lobes successively clipped. Patient is fine and recovering well in the ICU.”
Brain Aneurysm
A brain aneurysm, also known as a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), is a weak spot in the wall of a blood vessel inside the brain. Think of a weak spot in a balloon and how it feels stretched out and thin. A brain aneurysm is like that. That area of the blood vessel gets worn out from constant flow of blood and bulges out, almost like a bubble. It can grow to the size of a small berry.
There are different types: Saccular aneurysms are the most common type of brain aneurysm. They bulge out in a dome shape from the main artery. They’re connected to that artery by a narrow “neck”.
Fusiform aneurysms are not as common as saccular aneurysms. They do not pouch out in a dome shape. Instead, they make a widened spot in the blood vessel. Although brain aneurysms sound alarming, most do not cause symptoms or health problems. You can enjoy a long life without ever realizing that you have one.
But in rare cases, aneurysms can grow big, leak, or explode. Bleeding in the brain, known as a hemorrhagic stroke, is serious, and you’ll need medical care right away.
The type of symptoms you have from a brain aneurysm depend on whether it ruptures or not.
Ruptured brain aneurysm symptoms
You need emergency care if you suddenly get an intensely painful headache, lose consciousness, or have some of these other symptoms of an aneurysm rupture:
- Intense headache that comes on suddenly
- Loss of consciousness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Drowsiness
- Loss of balance in things like walking and normal coordination
- Stiff neck
- Dilated pupils
- Sensitivity to light
- Sudden blurred or double vision
- Drooping eyelid
- Confusion or trouble with mental awareness
- Seizure
Although brain aneurysms usually do not show symptoms, they can press on the brain and nerves as they get bigger.
Unruptured brain aneurysm symptoms
- Headache
- Dilated pupils
- Blurred or double vision
- Pain above and behind an eye
- Drooping eyelid
- A hard time speaking
- Weakness and numbness in one side of your face
