Aneurysm Clipping

Aneurysm clipping is a surgical procedure that is important in the management of cerebral aneurysms. Aneurysms occur when the walls of a blood vessel become weakened, balloon out, and become more likely to leak or rupture, potentially causing a stroke. A burst aneurysm in a major blood vessel can be fatal. Aneurysm clipping is performed to block off an intact aneurysm from the brain’s blood vessels to prevent any further leaking of blood from the site. The procedure also can prevent the aneurysm from rupturing again. The aneurysm is located using MRI or CT scans. Aneurysm clipping is performed in a brain operation called an open craniotomy. With the patient under general anesthesia in a hospital operating room, the scalp, skull, and the cover of the brain are opened, and a metal clip is placed at the base or neck of the aneurysm, sealing it off from the artery. The patient will require care in the hospital’s intensive care unit for a period of days after the surgery.

The UAB Neurology and Neurosurgery programs provide specialized evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment for conditions of the body’s central nervous, peripheral nervous, and muscle systems. Our internationally known neurologists and neurosurgeons address the most complex problems within their specialties, in both adults and children, with an effective combination of compassion and the most advanced technology available. UAB Neurology and Neurosurgery is consistently ranked among the top 50 programs of its kind nationally by U.S. News & World Report, which also has ranked UAB’s program No. 1 in Alabama.

The UAB Department of Neurology is home to eight comprehensive divisions and seven centers that deliver a wide range of innovative clinical services to more than 26,000 patients annually. The UAB Department of Neurosurgery performs more than 5,000 procedures annually, and it operates a board-certified division focused on pediatric neurosurgery as well as offering specialized care for cranial, spine, vascular, and neuro-endovascular conditions. In addition to general clinical care, UAB provides specialized services in the areas of stroke, critical care, epilepsy, dementia and behavioral neurology, movement disorders, headache, clinical neurophysiology, neuroimaging, neuroimmunology, neuro-oncology, neuromuscular disorders, muscle and nerve histopathology, and neuropsychology.

UAB’s commitment to pioneering research keeps us on the forefront of medical discoveries, which could lead to opportunities for you to participate in clinical studies and receive medications and treatments not available at other medical centers.

Care Providers

Winfield Fisher, III, MD Brain and Tumor Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery Mark Harrigan, MD Endovascular Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery Michael Lyerly, MD Neurology, Vascular Neurology Victor Mark, MD Neurology Mark Patterson, MD Vascular Surgery Benjamin Pearce, MD Endovascular Surgery, Vascular Surgery Jesse Jones, MD Diagnostic Radiology, Endovascular Neurosurgery, Interventional Neuroradiology, Neuroradiology, Neurosurgery Elizabeth Liptrap, MD Brain and Tumor Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery

Resources

• Division of Memory Disorders and Behavioral Neurology
• Aneurysm Clipping

Related Specialties

• Brain (Cerebral) Aneurysm