Recovery varies significantly depending on whether the aneurysm was ruptured or unruptured at the time of treatment.
Elective coiling of an unruptured aneurysm: most patients stay in hospital for one to two days. Return to normal activities typically occurs within one to two weeks. Antiplatelet medication must be taken consistently as prescribed, particularly in patients who have received a stent or flow diverter.
Coiling after a ruptured aneurysm: recovery is considerably longer, shaped by the subarachnoid haemorrhage rather than the coiling procedure itself. Hospital stay is typically two to three weeks or longer. Vasospasm, the narrowing of cerebral arteries in the days following subarachnoid haemorrhage, requires close monitoring and active management. Full recovery extends over months and may involve neurological rehabilitation.
Follow-up angiographic imaging is required in both situations to confirm durable aneurysm occlusion, typically at six months and again at two to three years.
Written by Dr Robin Gupta, MBBS, MS General Surgery, MCh Neurosurgery (GB Pant Hospital and Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi), Consultant Neurosurgeon and Stroke Specialist, Neuroendovascular Surgeon, SPARSH Hospital, Infantry Road, Vasanth Nagar, Bengaluru.
