What are you looking for?
Where did you receive care?
-
Virginia Mason Medical Center & regional centers
Log in to MyVirginiaMason > -
All other locations
Log in to MyChart >
Brain Aneurysm
A brain aneurysm is a bulge or ballooning in a weak spot of a blood vessel in the brain, which increases your stroke risk. Virginia Mason Franciscan Health offers preventive care and lifesaving treatment using therapies tailored to your needs.
Brain aneurysm services: Why choose us?
Our comprehensive team includes vascular neurologists, neuroradiologists, neurovascular surgeons and more. We work together to develop a personalized aneurysm treatment and stroke prevention plan reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Find a brain aneurysm specialist.
Brain aneurysm symptoms
Unruptured brain aneurysms are typically small and often don’t cause symptoms.
Ruptured brain aneurysms cause immediate symptoms that may include:
- Sudden-onset headache, the worst of your life
- Blurry or double vision
- Loss of consciousness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sensitivity to light
- Seizure
- Stiff neck
If you or a loved one experiences these symptoms, call 911 immediately. Do not attempt to drive yourself to the emergency room.
Brain aneurysm risk factors
Risk factors for brain aneurysms include:
- Age over 40
- Personal or family history of brain aneurysm
- Medical conditions like high blood pressure or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Regular use of tobacco, alcohol or cocaine
Brain aneurysm evaluation and diagnosis
-
CT scans and MRIs for other medical issues often detect unruptured aneurysms. Your provider will then refer you to a neurosurgeon for additional testing, like angiography.
If there is a higher risk of stroke, we refer you to a neurovascular surgeon to determine whether a preventive procedure is appropriate. Our surgeons promptly see patients with urgent concerns — as soon as the same day.
-
We assess ruptured aneurysms and hemorrhagic strokes in our emergency department. You undergo scans and other advanced testing upon arrival to confirm the diagnosis.
Brain aneurysm treatments
Treatment depends on the risk of aneurysm rupture. Your care may include:
-
For small, unruptured aneurysms, we may recommend monitoring and modifying risk factors.
-
For more advanced aneurysms, we use minimally invasive techniques to reduce the risk of rupture. Find out more about neurovascular disease care.
Treatment options include:
- Coiling: We insert a tiny flexible coil into the aneurysm, filling the bulge and preventing blood flow.
- Stenting (flow diversion): We place a hollow mesh device in the blood vessel to reinforce the weak spot and redirect blood flow away from the aneurysm.
Additional procedures may include:
- Clipping: We access the aneurysm through a small opening in the skull and use a clip to seal it.
- Cerebral bypass: We reroute blood flow around a damaged vessel.
-
Our team is available 24/7 to treat ruptured aneurysms. After treatment, you will likely stay in the hospital for a few days while we monitor you for complications. We continue to care for you after your hospital stay with neurorehabilitation and outpatient stroke follow-up visits.
Find a specialist
Our specialists care for patients across the Puget Sound area and beyond. Find a brain aneurysm specialist near you.