Leading-Edge Technology for the Treatment of Brain Aneurysms
NeuroTexas
Institute at St. David’s Medical Center is the first in Texas to
utilize the Zeiss Pentero Microscope using Indocyanine Green
Angiography (ICGA) in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms
Surgery to repair an aneurysm within the brain involves the
dissection of the neck of the aneurysm and the placement of a clip
across the aneurysm to exclude it from the circulation. When an
aneurysm clip is placed, the surgeon must confirm that good flow exists
in the vessels where the aneurysm is located to reduce the risk of
stroke.
Using the new ICGA technique, our surgeons are able to assess the
patency, or “openness,” of the vessels during surgery. Using a
specially equipped microscope, the surgeon observes an injected dye as
it flows through the vessels. If a vessel is found to be occluded, the
surgeon is able to adjust and reposition the clip. ICGA provides
neurosurgeons with an accurate assessment of vessel patency before the
patient leaves the operating room. This technique represents a low risk
and significant advance in the surgical treatment of brain aneurysms.
