Jump to content

Choose locationChoose Location
  • Sign in or Enroll
    • Open I want to choose my medical group or hospital
    • Clear my location
Change Location

We've expanded your view

You are now viewing all services in the Sutter Health network. You can change your location above to narrow your view to a medical group, hospital, city or zip.
Sutter Health
  • Video Visits
  • Find Doctors
  • Find Locations
  • Treatments & Services
  • Locations
  • Sign in or Enroll
    • Video Visits
    • Find Doctors
    • Find Locations
    • Treatments & Services
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Symptom Checker
    • Get Care Today
    • Diseases & Conditions
    • Health & Wellness
    • Classes & Events
    • Research & Clinical Trials
    • For Patients
    • About Sutter Health
    • Giving
    • Volunteering
    • Careers
    • News
    • For Medical Professionals
    • Other Business Services
Close Search
  • Home
  • Previous Page
Content

Brain Aneurysm Repair - Discharge

When You're in the Hospital

You had a brain aneurysm. An aneurysm is a weak area in the wall of a blood vessel that bulges or balloons out. Once it reaches a certain size, it has a high chance of bursting. It can leak blood and cause bleeding along the surface of the brain. This is also called a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Sometimes bleeding can occur inside the brain.

You had surgery to prevent the aneurysm from bleeding or to treat the aneurysm after it bled. There are two types of surgery:

  • Open craniotomy, during which the doctor makes a hole in your skull to place a clip on the base of the aneurysm.
  • Endovascular repair, during which the doctor does surgery on areas of your body through a blood vessel.

What to Expect at Home

If you had bleeding before, during, or after surgery you may have some short- or long-term problems. These may be mild or severe. For many people, these problems get better over time.

If you had either type of surgery you may:

  • Feel sad, angry, or very nervous. This is normal.
  • Have had a seizure and will take medicine to prevent another one.
  • Have headaches that may continue for a while. This is common.

What to expect after craniotomy and placement of a clip:

  • It will take 3 to 6 weeks to fully recover. If you had bleeding from your aneurysm this may take longer. You may feel tired for up to 12 or more weeks.
  • If you had a stroke or brain injury from the bleeding, you may have permanent problems such as trouble with speech or thinking, muscle weakness, or numbness.
  • Problems with your memory are common, but these may improve.
  • You may feel dizzy or confused, or your speech may not be normal after the surgery. If you did not have any bleeding, these problems should get better.

What to expect after endovascular repair:

  • You may have pain in your groin area.
  • You may have some bruising around and below the incision.

You may be able to start daily activities, such as driving a car, within 1 or 2 weeks if you did not have any bleeding. Ask your health care provider which daily activities are safe for you to do.

Open Article Detail

Self-care

Make plans to have help at home while you recover.

Follow a healthy lifestyle, such as:

  • If you have high blood pressure, keep it under control. Be sure to take the medicines your provider prescribed for you.
  • DO NOT smoke.
  • Ask your provider if it is OK for you to drink alcohol.
  • Ask your provider when it is OK to start sexual activity.

Take your seizure medicine if any was prescribed for you. Your doctor may refer you to a speech, physical, or occupational therapist to help you recover from any brain damage.

If the doctor put a catheter in through your groin (endovascular surgery), it is okay to walk short distances on a flat surface. Limit going up and down stairs to around 2 times a day for 2 to 3 days. DO NOT do yard work, drive, or play sports until your doctor says it is OK to do so.

Your provider will tell you when your dressing should be changed. DO NOT take a bath or swim for 1 week.

If you have a small amount of bleeding from the incision, lie down and put pressure where it bleeds for 30 minutes.

Be sure you understand any instructions about taking medicines such as blood thinners (anticoagulants), aspirin, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen.

When to Call the Doctor

Call your doctor if you have:

  • A severe headache or a headache that gets worse and you feel dizzy
  • A stiff neck
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Eye pain
  • Problems with your eyesight (from blindness to peripheral vision problems to double vision)
  • Speech problems
  • Problems thinking or understanding
  • Problems noticing things around you
  • Changes in your behavior
  • Feel weak or lose consciousness
  • Loss of balance or coordination or loss of muscle use
  • Weakness or numbness of an arm, leg, or your face.

Also, call your doctor if you have:

  • Bleeding at the incision site that does not go away after you apply pressure
  • An arm or leg that changes color, becomes cool to touch, or becomes numb
  • Redness, pain, or yellow or green discharge in or around the incision site
  • A fever higher than 101°F (38.3°C) or chills

Follow-up

Make sure to follow-up with your surgeon's office within 2 weeks of being discharged from the hospital.

Ask your doctor if you need long-term follow-up and tests, including CT scans or MRIs of your head.

If you had a cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) shunt placed after aneurysm surgery, you will need regular follow-ups to make sure it functions well.

References

Bowles E. Cerebral aneurysm and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Nurs Stand. 2014;28(34):52-59. PMID: 24749614 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24749614.

Connolly ES Jr, Rabinstein AA, Carhuapoma JR, et al. Guidelines for the management of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a guideline for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2012;43(6):1711-1737. PMID: 22556195 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22556195.

Szeder V, Tateshima S, Duckwiler GR. Intracranial aneurysms and subarachnoid hemorrhage. In: Daroff RB, Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, eds. Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016: chap 67.

Related Articles

From Sutter Health

    Talking To Your MD

      Self Care

        Other Related Content

          Care Near You

          Find Nearby Doctors

          Not just a doctor, a partner. Find a Sutter Health network doctor today.

          Find Nearby Locations

          Convenient care that’s close to home, from urgent care to imaging.

          Find Nearby Events

          Classes, support groups and more. Because care doesn’t stop at the doctor’s office.

          The Sutter Health Network of Care
          Expertise to fit your needs
          Primary Care

          Check-ups, screenings and sick visits for adults and children.

          Specialty Care

          Expertise and advanced technologies in all areas of medicine.

          Emergency Care

          For serious accidents, injuries and conditions that require immediate medical care.

          Urgent Care

          After-hours, weekend and holiday services.

          Walk-In Care

          Convenient walk-in care clinics for your non-urgent health needs.

          About Sutter

        • About Our Network
        • Annual Report
        • Awards
        • Community Benefit
        • Contact Us
        • News
        • Giving
        • Find Care

        • Birth Centers
        • Care Centers
        • Emergency Rooms
        • Hospitals
        • Imaging
        • Labs
        • Surgery Centers
        • Urgent Care
        • Walk-In Care
        • View All >
        • Featured Services

        • Behavioral Health
        • Cancer Services
        • Family Medicine
        • Home Health and Hospice
        • Orthopedics
        • Pediatrics
        • Pregnancy
        • Primary Care
        • Women's Health
        • View All >
        • Patient Resources

        • Accepted Health Plans
        • Classes and Events
        • Estimate Costs
        • Flu Resources
        • Health and Wellness
        • Medical Records
        • Medicare
        • My Health Online
        • Pay a Bill
        • Symptom Checker
        • Our Team

        • For Employees
        • Physician Careers
        • Recruiting Events
        • Sutter Careers
        • Vendors
        • Volunteers
          • ADA Accessibility
          • Contact
          • Privacy
          • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

          • LinkedIn Opens new window
          • YouTube Opens new window
          • Facebook Opens new window
          • Twitter Opens new window
          • Glassdoor Opens new window
          • Instagram Opens new window

          Copyright © 2021 Sutter Health. All rights reserved. Sutter Health is a registered trademark of Sutter Health ®, Reg. U.S. Patent & Trademark office.

          Cookie Policy

          We use cookies to give you the best possible user experience. By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences

          Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences