The value of reinforcing intracranial aneurysms with plastic coating.

Plastic coating of a ruptured intracranial aneurysm is a surgical measure which may be considered if, for anatomical or technical reasons, ligation of the base of the aneurysm is not possible. After the coating operation, there is still some risk of recurrent haemorrhage. Thus, the late results in a series of 35 patients subjected to this operation have been compared with those in patients treated conservatively. The mean observation period was 3.5 years and the surgical measure was found to reduce the natural mortality by 15%. The results are so satisfactory that this method may be regarded as an acceptable alternative in cases where definitive occlusion of the aneurysm is not possible. Qualitatively, the survival conditions are the same after surgical as after conservative therapy.