The results, complications, and causes for morbidity of surgical treatment for unruptured intracranial aneurysms were analysed retrospectively in 80 cases. Twenty-three cases (28.8%) developed neurological worsening postoperatively, and in 10 cases (12.5%), these deficits disappeared within 1 month. However, in 13 cases (16.3%), deficits remained permanently. At 3 months after surgery, good outcome was achieved in 73 cases (91.3%), but 6 cases (7.5%) needed some help, and there was one operative death (mortality 1.3%).
Age was one of the most important surgical risk factors. The rate of the patients over 65 years old who developed postoperative neurological deficits was statistically higher than that of younger patients (p<0.05). Especially in aged patients over 70 years old, 57.1% of cases developed permanent neurological deficits. Surgical indication for aged patients should be carefully considered.
Transient neurological worsening was thought to be due mainly to fragility of the brain. On the other hand, permanent neurological deficits were due mainly to the surgical procedure, such as perforating artery injury, parent artery occlusion, and brain retraction, especially in the cases with large or giant aneurysms. Careful surgical manipulation and consideration of strategy for surgical treatment is essential.
