New semicircular clip for internal carotid artery aneurysms. Technical note.
BACKGROUND
Complete clipping of internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms without residual aneurysmal neck may conflict with preservation of the anterior choroidal artery, posterior communicating artery, or their branches. In addition, the neck of the aneurysm is often situated behind the ICA, as seen through the operative microscope. The blades of fenestrated clips can be inserted over the ICA, followed by reconstruction of the ICA wall to minimize the residual aneurysmal neck. However, the blades are out of the field of vision behind the ICA when they are closed, so that ICA branches or perforators may be clipped together with the aneurysmal neck. We have developed a semicircular clip to avoid this type of misclipping.


RESULTS
We have treated four patients with ruptured ICA aneurysms and two patients with unruptured ICA aneurysms with this semicircular clip. In all cases, the aneurysms were clipped without residual neck, and the ICA branches were preserved.


CONCLUSIONS
This instrumentation is especially useful in cases of ICA aneurysms protruding posteriorly or medially.
Suzuki
M
M
Department of Neurosurgery, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Japan.
Ogawa
A
A
D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*