Length of hospital stay will vary depending upon several factors including whether there was a rupture, any complications during or after surgery and the general condition of the patient. An uncomplicated surgery generally requires a hospital stay of 4 to 6 days, with at least the first day following surgery in the Intensive Care Unit. If a rupture has occurred, a hospital stay of one to two weeks could be expected with a longer initial stay in the Intensive Care Unit to monitor for possible vasospasm. The hospital stay could be longer if complications arise. A follow-up angiogram will usually be performed before release from the hospital to confirm that the clip has completely closed off the aneurysm. After release from the hospital, the recovery period at home is three to six weeks for an uncomplicated surgery. Resumption of daily activities, such as driving a car may be as soon as one or two weeks after and uncomplicated surgery where there has been no rupture. The interval is longer where there has been a rupture and would be evaluated by your physician on an individual basis.

Possible postoperative symptoms

Nausea is a reaction that some experience for a short time after general anesthesia. Medications to treat this are available, and you should consult with the anesthesiologist prior to the surgery about them.
At the incision site itchiness, pain and numbness are common, as well as a clicking noise at the bone reattachment site. These are normal as the incision and the reattached bone section heal. Healing of the bone may take up to six to twelve months.
Seizures or lapses in consciousness are not common, but if they do occur, medical attention should be sought immediately. Anti-convulsants are given to prevent seizures, and alcohol consumption, which contributes to the possibility of seizures, should be avoided. You must not drive a car if you are experiencing seizures, and the law requires that you surrender your driver’s license. Once the seizures are eliminated, your doctor will assist you in reclaiming it.
Memory problems are a common experience and generally improve over time.
Headaches are a common post-operative experience and can continue for a long time after surgery. They can be treated with medication, and you should consult your physician. After a rupture and treatment, it is highly unlikely that a re-rupture would occur, however, if an extreme or explosive headache does occur, you should seek immediate medical attention.
Fatigue and tiredness are very common and can continue for six weeks or more.
Dizziness, confusion, sensitivity to light, and vision or speech impairment sometimes occur. Physical, speech and occupational therapists can assist in dealing with these.
Constipation sometimes occurs as a result of medications and inactivity and can be treated.
Back pain from inactivity or lying still can be relieved with medication and physical therapy.
Depression, fear, anxiety and anger often occur after experiencing any major surgery or medical emergency. Neurosurgery may affect the problem as well. If you are having difficulty with these feelings, it is important to get help from your physician and other medical professionals.

Recovery from Coiling

The hospital stay for coiling is one to two days for an uncomplicated procedure where there has been no rupture of the aneurysm. When a rupture has occurred, the stay may be a week or longer, depending on the condition of the patient. Recovery time at home for an uncomplicated procedure may be one week or more. Daily activities may be resumed within a short time pursuant to the recommendation of your physician. Recovery at home and resumption of daily activities are generally longer after a rupture. A follow-up angiogram will be performed, usually within six to twelve months after the procedure, to confirm that the coils are in place and have eliminated the aneurysm from the blood circulation through the artery.

Possible postoperative symptoms

Nausea is a reaction that some experience for a short time after general anesthesia. Medications to treat this are available, and you should consult with the anesthesiologist prior to the procedure about them.
At the location in the groin where the catheter was inserted there may be slight bruising and sensitivity.
Headaches, which may be accompanied by sensitivity to light, may occur and may continue for some time after treatment. They can be treated with medication, and you should consult your physician. After a rupture and treatment, it is highly unlikely that a re-rupture would occur, however, if an extreme or explosive headache does occur, you should seek immediate medical attention.
Fatigue and tiredness are very common and can continue for several weeks.
Depression, fear, anxiety and anger often occur after experiencing any medical procedure or medical emergency. If you are having difficulty with these feelings, it is important to get help from your physician and other medical professionals.

Possible short- or long-term neurological deficits following surgery or treatment

Rupture or treatment patients who have experienced bleeding may have some short- or long-term neurological deficits to varying degrees. In many cases these deficits will decrease over time and/or disappear altogether. The recovery time varies. Physical, speech and occupational therapists can help regain neurological functions that have been affected. Signs of neurological deficits include:

Stroke
Vision impairment (from blindness to peripheral vision problems)
Speech impairment
Cognitive function loss
Perception difficulties
Behavioral changes
Loss of balance or coordination
Short-term memory impairment
Diminished ability to concentrate
Chronic headache

How You, Your Family and the Community Can Aid in Your Recovery

You can help yourself cope with the common problem of short-term memory loss. Ask others to slow down, simplify and relate new information they are giving you with things you remember. Repeat what others tell you a couple of times and take notes, use a planner or a notebook. Keep to a regular routine in your activities and include some word games to exercise your mind. Familial contribution: the behavioral changes and challenges associated with neurological deficits can be hard on both the aneurysm patients and their families. While providing emotional support and ensuring good health care, families can act as the eyes and ears of the patient, noticing changes of behavior and providing feedback.
Your family can help you by providing emotional support, acting as your advocate with the health care system, giving you feedback on how you are doing, and helping you seek the community support you can use.
The community has Support Groups which include other patients who have had similar experiences as well as experts in the health care system. You may ask your health care provider for one near you. The Brain Aneurysm Foundation is an excellent resource for both education and emotional support for patients and their families. It also publishes a quarterly newsletter. Its Brain Aneurysm Support Group meets on a monthly basis and can be contacted via their website www.bafound.org.