Treatment for Brain Aneurysms

Treatment options for brain aneurysms at Johns Hopkins

At Johns Hopkins, we treat brain aneurysms using a variety of methods, or a combination of methods, depending on the type of aneurysm and the individual patient, which may include:

• Microsurgical clipping
• Endovascular techniques: 
  • Endovascular coiling
  • Endovascular stent coiling
  • Artery occlusion and bypass
  • Flow diversion with stents
• Observation

Treatment for recurring aneurysms

20% of aneurysm patients have multiple aneurysms, often on opposite sides of the brain. Traditionally, surgeons perform two separate operations, one for each side of the brain. Dr Rafael Tamargo, director of the Johns Hopkins Cerebrovascular Center, is among a handful of surgeons worldwide to use a one-surgery, contralateral approach.

Treatment options for aneurysms that have recurred may include:

• coiling the aneurysm again using endovascular stent coiling
• bypass the blood flow of the vessel using flow diversion with stents
• open microsurgery

The Johns Hopkins Aneurysm Center is one of only a few centers in the United States that successfully performs open microsurgery on previously coiled aneurysms. Learn more about our team.

Specific treatment will be determined by your physician.

Learn more about treating an unruptured brain aneurysm.

The Johns Hopkins Aneurysm Center team evaluates each aneurysm patient to decide the best singular therapy or treatment combination for the patient’s specific case. Johns Hopkins is one of the few hospitals in the country that treats more than 200 aneurysm cases a year (Dr Tamargo, Dr Huang and Dr Coon treat an average of about 200 aneurysm cases a year). We have published our aneurysm treatment results, which rank among the best in the world.

To request an appointment or refer a patient, please contact the Johns Hopkins Aneurysm Center at 410-614-1533.