Doing Well, Again

At Rush University Medical Center in Chicago Illinois, specialists in endovascular therapy take a multidisciplinary approach to brain aneurysms, from the initial consultation to postoperative care. This therapeutic approach enables them to provide personalized treatment plans for everything from brain aneurysms to kidney stones.

Endovascular therapy is rapidly changing the way brain aneurysms, heart attacks, strokes and quite a number of other medical conditions are being treated. Many problems that once required invasive surgery can now be fixed from inside the body, with catheters instead of scalpels. Because endovascular procedures are less invasive, patients spend less time in the hospital and less time recovering, so they can get back to their lives sooner.

These innovative procedures require only a small incision, through which an ultra-fine catheter is inserted. Thanks to the creation of smaller, more flexible catheters and stents — wire mesh tubes used to keep arteries open — doctors can now treat even the smallest, most remote brain aneurysm.

How is a brain aneurysm characterized?

A brain aneurysm is the dilation - thinning and ballooning or bulging out - in part of the wall of a vein or artery in the brain. It may result or be aggravated by disease (such as arteriosclerosis or hypertension), injury, or an abnormality present at birth and may not cause any symptoms. The danger from a brain aneurysm is that it will continue to bulge and may burst. When an aneurysm in a large blood vessel or in the heart bursts, a person could bleed to death. When a brain aneurysm bursts, a stroke (brain attack) can result

Diagnostic procedures

In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, diagnostic procedures may include any, or a combination of, the following:

• A CAT or CT scan also called a computed tomography scan which is a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of x-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images (often called slices), both horizontally and vertically, of the body.
  
  
• MRI also called magnetic resonance imaging which is a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of large magnets, radiofrequencies, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body.

From biopsies to varicose veins - endovascular therapy can be the answer.

Endovascular interventions can also be used to perform biopsies on tumors, deliver targeted drugs or chemotherapy to a particular location in the body, and even treat varicose veins. Endovascular therapy at Rush brings doctors from a number of disciplines together to share their skills and expertise in our state-of-the-art facilities.

Endovascular procedures available at Rush include:

• Heart
• Neurological
• Vascular
• Peripheral Vascular Disease
• Kidney
• Tumor Therapy
• Venous
• Hemodialysis Access Management

Rush University Medical Center – leading the way for 170 years

For nearly 170 years, Rush has been leading the way in developing innovative and often life-saving treatments. This unique combination of research and patient care has earned Rush national rankings in more specialty areas than any other hospital in Illinois, as reported in U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” issue.