Information Surrounding Microsurgical Clipping and the Recovery Period

There are more than one medical procedure which can be utilised in order to treat aneurysms — ruptured blood vessels causing bleeding – in the brain, with one of the more common procedures being that of microsurgical clipping. Essentially this involves cutting open the patient’s skull and dividing the brain lobes in order to try to repair the aneurysm with the least possible actual handling of the patient’s brain. Whether this procedure is actually used for the treatment of aneurysms generally depends on which part of the brain the aneurysm is located in, with the area that is most difficult for the application of this procedure being the carotid region.

When it comes to performing microsurgical clipping the procedure requires an incision — either zigzag or straight — to be made in one of two places on the patient’s skull: at the hairline or the back. Following the subsequent removal of this section of skull, the aneurysm is located in the brain without any incision into the brain tissue, with the aneurysm then being closed using a very small metal clip, hence the name applied to the procedure. Finally the section of bone removed from the skull is replaced. Although there are rarely complications arising from the actual clipping procedure itself, it is possible for the location of the incision to become infected, or for the aneurysm to rupture during the procedure, which can cause permanent brain damage. If this brain damage is the result of medical negligence you should make brain injury claims through a law firm specializing in this field.

In normal circumstances the recovery time following this procedure is approximately four to six days, which will be spent in hospital — with at least one day immediately following the procedure spent in Intensive Care. In the event of a complication — such as a rupturing of the aneurysm — the recovery period will likely be in the region of one or two weeks, with more time spent in Intensive Care immediately following the procedure. In addition, if the procedure goes smoothly, there will also be a further recovery time of between three and six weeks to be spent at home — although again this can be longer in the event of there being complications.