Brain aneurysm treatment options grow at Bryan

Neurosurgeon Christopher Hawkins, DO, is expanding options that reduce stroke risk for patients with brain aneurysms.

Dr. Hawkins, of Neurological and Spinal Surgery, provides minimally invasive treatments in the new neurointerventional suite at Bryan West Campus, so patients with aneurysms receive care right here in Lincoln, close to their homes and families.

What are aneurysms?

Whether in the brain or elsewhere, aneurysms occur when part of a blood vessel wall weakens and balloons outward. While their exact cause is often unknown, aneurysms are most common among people who have family histories of aneurysms or personal histories of smoking or high blood pressure.

Unruptured brain aneurysms often don’t show symptoms, so most aren’t discovered until imaging is performed for unrelated reasons. If left untreated, the aneurysm may continue to weaken until it ruptures, which can be fatal — nearly 500,000 deaths occur each year due to these ruptures.

“Imagine the blood vessel network in your brain as a tree with branches,” Dr. Hawkins explains. “An aneurysm is like a weak spot in one of those branches. It’s a balloon that forms from the blood vessel wall, and this weakened area can rupture and cause bleeding in the brain.”

He says, “The main goal of treatment is to prevent the aneurysm from rupturing, which can cause a stroke, or even death.”

Offers range of options

But not all brain aneurysms require surgery.

Dr. Christopher Hawkins also performs:

• Embolizations of brain AVMs and fistulas (abnormal connections between arteries and veins)

• Embolizations of brain tumors

• MMA embolization to stop bleeding that is causing subdural hematoma

• Epistaxis (nosebleed) embolization

• Stenting procedures to open narrowed vessels, to reduce risk of repeat strokes

• Thrombectomy to remove brain clots

“Aneurysms carry different risks depending on their location and size,” he explains.

“Some aneurysms are small and depending on their location carry a low risk for rupture; these may not need treatment, and these patients are typically monitored by their doctors with a series of imaging.

“Patients with larger aneurysms, or those who have aneurysms at higher-risk locations, may require intervention to prevent the aneurysm from bursting,” he continues.

“This often is accomplished by inserting a small catheter into an artery at the wrist or groin, then treating the aneurysm from inside the blood vessel with various devices. These range from devices deployed within the aneurysm to seal it off, to stents that remodel blood flow and prevent the aneurysm from filling over time.”

He and the Bryan Radiology Department collaborated to create the large neurointerventional procedure suite that opened in 2022 at Bryan West Campus.

“With the state-of-the-art equipment in this suite, we can provide several important treatments for aneurysms and other vascular malformations in the brain,” says Dr. Hawkins. “These include treatments with coils, where an aneurysm is filled with small platinum threads to seal it off from the blood vessel or embolizations of complex vascular malformations, blocking them from blood supply with a sophisticated glue-like product.

“We also perform stenting procedures, where specially designed mesh tubes are placed in the vessel, so that blood flow is redirected past the aneurysm rather than into it.”

After such minimally invasive, elective procedures patients typically go home the next day.

Bryan Medical Center radiology manager Anne Dorn says, “ We are excited to offer these services for our community and neighbors.

“Bryan is a wonderful place, with skilled, caring professionals, and there is nowhere else I would want to take a family member of my own in need of care.” n

To learn how you can support the work of Bryan Health, please contact the Bryan Foundation staff at 402-481-8605.