Medical Reports: Aneurysms

WSVN -- Rebecca Gadberry lives a fairy tale life.

Rebecca Gadberry: "Bright, sunny day, huh?"

Her family includes a devoted husband, Mark, and son, Kyle, who rarely leaves his mom's side.

Kyle Gadberry: "Because she does nice stuff to me."

Suddenly, Rebecca's story changed.

Rebecca Gadberry: "You just feel your world crashing in."

Mark Gadberry: "First day, we were in shock, kind of numb. Second day, I think we cried all day."

Rebecca found out she had an aneurysm, a bulging blood vessel in her brain.

Rebecca Gadberry: "I had a bomb in my head that could go off at any minute."

If an aneurysm ruptures, one third of patients die immediately, another third die within a month and survivors may face neurological problems.

Interventional Neuroradiologist Satoshi Tateshima, MD: "Once it ruptures, it's horrible."

This computer software gets rid of some of the guessing and gives neurosurgeons a glimpse into the future.

Satoshi Tateshima, MD: "We can reconstruct 3-D aneurysms in a virtual space."

The program simulates blood flow direction, speed and friction in an aneurysm. The more friction, the greater chance for disaster.

Doctors say the software gives them more control.

Satoshi Tateshima, MD: "The more we know about the enemy, the better fight we can make."

In Rebecca's case, the model predicted her aneurysm was in danger of bursting. It helped her make a decision to have surgery immediately.

Rebecca Gadberry: "Hi, how are you? Good to see you."

Six months later, Rebecca visits the doctor who saved her life and sees what could have happened in her brain.

Rebecca Gadberry: "That was mine?"

Satoshi Tateshima, MD: "Yes, your aneurysm."

The Gadberrys now have a second chance for a happy ending.

Mark Gadberry: "It's a success story instead of a horror story."

Women between the ages of 35 and 60 are more likely to have a brain aneurysm than men.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Satoshi Tateshima, MD
stateshima@mednet.ucla.edu
www.uclahealth.org