BACKGROUND: The role of general anesthesia in precipitating aneurysm rupture is not clearly defined. In this study, we aimed to assess the natural history of unruptured aneurysms in patients undergoing non-aneurysm-related procedures requiring general anesthesia. METHODS: Retrospective review of consecutive patients with untreated intracranial aneurysms that underwent unrelated surgery with operative note documentation of general anesthesia. Events of intraoperative and postoperative subarachnoid hemorrhage were recorded to determine the incidence of rupture. RESULTS: A total of 110 patients harboring 134 unsecured aneurysms were studied. The mean age was 56.5 years (range, 17-92), and 68% were women (n = 75/110). Mean aneurysm size was 3.5 mm (range 1.5-17). A total of 208 procedures were performed under general anesthesia. There were no events of subarachnoid hemorrhage in 5.7 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: In our study, general anesthesia did not precipitate aneurysm rupture, and there were no instances of subarachnoid hemorrhage during the follow-up period. Our results suggest a benign natural history for aneurysms undergoing unrelated general anesthesia. However, this should be interpreted with caution given limitations related to our small sample size and retrospective study design.
BACKGROUND: The role of general anesthesia in precipitating aneurysm rupture is not clearly defined. In this study, we aimed to assess the natural history of unruptured aneurysms in patients undergoing non-aneurysm-related procedures requiring general anesthesia. METHODS: Retrospective review of consecutive patients with untreated intracranial aneurysms that underwent unrelated surgery with operative note documentation of general anesthesia. Events of intraoperative and postoperative subarachnoid hemorrhage were recorded to determine the incidence of rupture. RESULTS: A total of 110 patients harboring 134 unsecured aneurysms were studied. The mean age was 56.5 years (range, 17-92), and 68% were women (n = 75/110). Mean aneurysm size was 3.5 mm (range 1.5-17). A total of 208 procedures were performed under general anesthesia. There were no events of subarachnoid hemorrhage in 5.7 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: In our study, general anesthesia did not precipitate aneurysm rupture, and there were no instances of subarachnoid hemorrhage during the follow-up period. Our results suggest a benign natural history for aneurysms undergoing unrelated general anesthesia. However, this should be interpreted with caution given limitations related to our small sample size and retrospective study design.
Authors: Ramazan Jabbarli; Thiemo Florin Dinger; Marvin Darkwah Oppong; Daniela Pierscianek; Philipp Dammann; Karsten H Wrede; Klaus Kaier; Martin Köhrmann; Michael Forsting; Christoph Kleinschnitz; Ulrich Sure Journal: Stroke Date: 2018-03-06 Impact factor: 7.914
Authors: David O Wiebers; J P Whisnant; J Huston; I Meissner; R D Brown; D G Piepgras; G S Forbes; K Thielen; D Nichols; W M O'Fallon; J Peacock; L Jaeger; N F Kassell; G L Kongable-Beckman; J C Torner Journal: Lancet Date: 2003-07-12 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Dennis J Nieuwkamp; Larissa E Setz; Ale Algra; Francisca H H Linn; Nicolien K de Rooij; Gabriël J E Rinkel Journal: Lancet Neurol Date: 2009-06-06 Impact factor: 44.182
Authors: Tumul Chowdhury; Andrea Petropolis; Marshall Wilkinson; Bernhard Schaller; Nora Sandu; Ronald B Cappellani Journal: Anesthesiol Res Pract Date: 2014-03-03