FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN FRANCISCO - On August 20, 2004, at age 44, Sylvia Lee, an airport cargo supervisor from California, became a statistic. When she started experiencing symptoms, she was unaware that she would become one of the estimated 30,000 people a year in the United States to experience rupture of a cerebral aneurysm. Sadly, about 50 percent of those who experience ruptured brain aneurysms die, while others are often left with severe neurological impairments. Sylvia is one of the lucky survivors - alive and well today to share her story with others.
A cerebral aneurysm is a weakened part of an artery in the brain that results in a bulging or ballooning out of part of the vessel wall. Usually, aneurysms develop at the point where a blood vessel branches, because the "fork" is structurally more vulnerable. The disorder may result from congenital defects or from other conditions such as high blood pressure or atherosclerosis (the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries).
Sylvia’s story is one of the three winning entries in the Neurosurgical Patient Stories Contest, being featured during Neurosurgery Awareness Week (NAW). NAW kicks off this year from April 22-27 during the 74th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) in San Francisco. "The goal of NAW is to help educate people about a wide range of neurosurgical conditions and diseases," stated Alex B. Valadka, MD, FACS, AANS spokesperson. "One of the most compelling ways to do this is to share real life stories of people who have experienced neurosurgical conditions firsthand," added Dr. Valadka.
"I was overcome with a feeling of nausea. My head started to throb, and I developed an incredibly intense headache. I broke out in cold sweat, and I saw a ring of white-hot light coming at me from an angle. When it hit my head, it felt as if my head was being cleaved in half. I half-crawled to the bathroom and began to vomit. This continued for about 12 hours, and I thought I had food poisoning from the sweetened condensed milk I consumed earlier in the day. I was unable to keep food or liquids down for several days," recalled Sylvia.
By the fourth day, Sylvia could barely walk or stand because her legs and back ached so badly. Her sister picked her up, and she stayed at her place and napped for awhile. When she woke up, her sister decided that she had to get her to the hospital.
Sylvia went to Mills Hospital in San Mateo, where they immediately gave her intravenous fluids to treat her severe dehydration. Sylvia recounts, "The doctor ordered a CAT scan, and I don't remember much at that point, but I recall the doctor waking me some time later and telling me that I had an aneurysm. I was told that I was very lucky that the aneurysm had only leaked instead of rupturing."
Sylvia was transferred on the afternoon of August 25 to California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco and was referred to Jeffrey E. Thomas, MD, FACS. Dr. Thomas is neurosurgical director at the Center for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease and medical director of the Neurointerventional Service at CPMC.
"When I first assessed Sylvia’s medical situation, I believed that I could eliminate the aneurysm through a minimally invasive approach," said Dr. Thomas. This procedure, called endovascular therapy, uses microcatheters, inserted through the femoral artery in the leg, to deliver coils to the site of the enlarged blood vessel. These coils are used to close the aneurysm from inside the blood vessel. Brain surgery is performed without making an incision on the patient’s head.
"During this procedure, I determined that I would not be able to reach Sylvia’s aneurysm, and I would have to perform a craniotomy," recalled Dr. Thomas. An operation to "clip" an aneurysm is performed by doing a craniotomy (opening the skull surgically) and, with the aid of a microscope, isolatiing the aneurysm from the bloodstream with one or more clips, which allows it to deflate. Surgical repair of cerebral aneurysms may not be possible or advisable if they are located in certain parts of the brain that will undergo excessive manipulation or retraction during surgery.
The second procedure was performed successfully on the morning of August 27. "When I woke up, Dr. Thomas was very pleased to inform me that I now had several titanium screws and a titanium clip in my head and that my skull was going to be stronger and better than it was before the surgery," said Sylvia.
Sylvia was released from CPMC on September 1 with a clean bill of health. "I experienced headaches and muscle spasms postsurgery, and Dr. Thomas was extremely patient, answering my daughter’s concerns about my health and providing much-needed reassurance." After undergoing physical therapy for several weeks, Sylvia was able to return to work on October 15.
"It has been nearly two years since I experienced this life-altering medical emergency. My memory is a little worse for the wear, but it was never great to begin with. I find that I am slightly dyslexic, but it is not serious enough to be concerned about. All in all, I am doing great and I am forever grateful that I was under the care of such a highly skilled neurosurgeon," concluded Sylvia.
Detailed information is available on cerebral aneurysms and other cerebrovascular conditions at: http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/what/, under Conditions & Treatments. To locate a qualified neurosurgeon in your area, visit: http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/findaneuro/.
Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 6,800 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada, or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system, including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain, and peripheral nerves.
